In a startling development related to the January attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, an auto-rickshaw driver has emerged as a crucial witness. The investigation has led to the filing of a detailed 1,613-page chargesheet against the accused, Shariful Fakir, revealing that the attack was carefully planned.
The auto driver, Dhananjay Chaini, unknowingly played a role in the events leading up to the assault. On January 15, Chaini picked up Fakir from Bandra railway station and dropped him near Saif Ali Khan’s residence. Fakir paid him double the fare, which made the trip memorable for Chaini. This occurred about 12 hours before Fakir carried out the pre-dawn attack on Saif Ali Khan.
CCTV footage captured Fakir’s movements throughout the day, showing him scoping out the area around Saif Ali Khan’s residence starting from around 1 pm. He was seen multiple times around the neighborhood until the early hours of January 16, when he was inside Saif’s building complex and later fled the scene.
Following the attack, Fakir moved around Mumbai, spotted at various locations including a bus stop, a food outlet near Bandra station, and a mobile phone shop near Dadar station, before his trail ended in Worli. This suggests that Fakir had a planned escape route after the assault.
The chargesheet also uncovers Fakir’s criminal background, including his history of theft. He was expelled from his uncle’s house for stealing, which led him to Kolkata where he committed another robbery. Eventually, he found work at a pub in Worli but lost the job due to further theft, which paved the way for his attack on Saif Ali Khan.
Police believe Fakir’s history of criminal activity and his calculated movements leading to the attack point to a premeditated crime rather than an impulsive act. The motive for targeting Saif Ali Khan is still unclear, but the evidence suggests a deliberate plan rather than a random attack.
With Chaini’s testimony now part of the investigation, crucial details regarding Fakir’s actions before the assault have emerged. This case continues to unfold, revealing that the attack was likely the result of careful planning, with the full motive yet to be understood.