Saif Ali Khan Attack: 'False Arrest' Claim Deepens Mystery As Accused's Father Cries Foul

Actor Saif Ali Khan has returned home in good health, but the case and mystery surrounding the incident have grown more complex. Saif was reportedly stabbed by a burglar who allegedly entered his home through the vents. However, following multiple reports, political leaders have now begun questioning the police's handling of the arrest. Father of the arrested accused have also cried foul.

Congress Questions Mumbai Police

"The attack on Saif Ali Khan, it has been stated that the person shown in the CCTV footage and the person who has been arrested are different. They have conducted investigations from various angles, and based on that, this report has been filed.. The police need to clarify this immediately. This is important because even in Mumbai’s supposedly safe areas, if actors are not safe, then it will not take long for the Bollywood industry to leave Mumbai, which will harm Maharashtra..." said Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole.

Accused's Father Cries Foul

In a 12-minute interview, Shariful's father Mohammad Ruhul told PTI over the phone from Bangaldesh that his son did not have proper documentation for his stay in India and he lived in constant fear of being arrested. He alleged that the man seen in the CCTV camera footage was not Shariful and added that his son was being framed. "I will get in touch with the Bangaldeshi foreign ministry and also seek help from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka for the release of my son," Ruhul said. He claimed that he learned about his son's arrest through Facebook and news channels and added he had not been contacted by police in this connection. 

"The police have not said anything to us," Ruhul said. He said Shariful entered India between the last week of March and the first week of April last year. Ruhul claimed that his son was not involved in the stabbing incident, saying it would not have been possible for Shariful to enter the home of a star of Khan's stature and commit such a crime. 

"In the video footage we saw, the man (in the footage) has hair till the eyebrows. My son doesn't wear his hair like that. He is 30 years old and has never kept his hair this long, not even as a teenager," Ruhul said. India is a huge country, it is quite possible that one person would bear some resemblance to another person, he said. "But the CCTV camera photos that I saw of the (accused) person do not match my son." He also alleged that his son was being framed by a "third party". "There might be a conspiracy." 

Ruhul, a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), worked at the People's Jute Mill, said Shariful used to work at a hotel in Mumbai and sent a portion of the salary he received on the "10th, 11th, 12th" of every month. 

Police On Facial Analysis

Mumbai police stated that forensic analysis has confirmed Fakir's involvement in the crime, as fingerprints found at various locations inside the actor’s apartment matched his. However, while requesting an extension of Fakir's custody, the police informed the court that they still need to conduct a facial recognition test to verify if he is the individual captured on CCTV footage. Additionally, the police need to compare the suspect’s footprints with those found at the crime scene and recover both the shoes Fakir was wearing during the incident and the missing portion of the knife used in the attack.

Accused's Custody Extended

Police on Friday told a Mumbai court that they needed to conduct a facial recognition test of the Bangladeshi man arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan to ascertain that he was the one in the CCTV footage. The court extended the police custody of Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir (30) till January 29, while defence lawyers questioned the actor's version of the incident, asking why he did not call the police immediately. 

Shariful was arrested on January 19 for allegedly breaking into Saif Ali Khan's 12th floor flat in Bandra for robbery three days earlier, and stabbing the actor multiple times when confronted. The police on Friday sought his further custody, claiming that while substantial progress had been made in the probe, more interrogation was required to investigate certain crucial aspects. Public prosecutors told the court that facial recognition test of the accused was needed to be done at a Forensic Science Laboratory to ascertain that he was the same person seen in the CCTV footage recovered from the staircase of Khan's building. (With agencies inputs)