Mumbai Police has vehemently opposed the bail application of 30-year-old Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national who is charged with housebreaking and assaulting Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, before a Mumbai Court, while presenting strong evidence against the accused.
Prosecution Presents Fingerprint and Facial Recognition Evidence
On Thursday, the city police put major material in front of the court, such as fingerprint matches, facial recognition reports, and forensic lab reports to make his release a case of strong opposition.
In its response, the prosecution presented that the fingerprints of the left hand of the accused were obtained from the crime scene. It also mentioned a facial recognition test, where it was said that the face of the suspect matched the person in CCTV footage from Khan’s house.
Prosecution Raises Flight Risk and Witness Tampering Concerns
It was also contended that the accused was a foreign national who would constitute a serious risk of flight and also there was a risk of tampering with witnesses if released on bail.
“The possibility of him repeatedly committing such crimes cannot be ruled out,” the prosecution submitted.
A Chemical Analysis (CA) report of the Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina, established that a fragment of knife blade recovered from the scene, another broken part recovered from the accused, and a piece removed from Saif Ali Khan’s body were all belonging to the same weapon.
Also, a medical report confirmed that Khan’s wounds matched those given by this recovered weapon.
Accused Denies Allegations, Claims Fabricated FIR
This is the second time Islam has approached the court seeking bail. He has asserted that he was falsely accused and that the First Information Report (FIR) is merely the complainant’s make-believe tale.
It was also argued on his behalf that even assuming the witness statements in full and without admitting anything on record and simply for argument’s sake, the charges would still not meet the ingredients of Section 311 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) dealing with robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt.
Background: Saif Ali Khan Attack and Arrest of Accused
On 16th January, 2025, actor Saif Ali Khan was reportedly attacked in his Mumbai home. After the probe, the accused, Shariful Islam, was apprehended on 19th January. During questioning, it was reportedly uncovered that he was a Bangladeshi national who had illegally crossed the border into India.
He is charged with causing serious harm to Khan, his worker, and another person with a lethal weapon with intent to kill. His plea for bail stands scheduled for hearing on August 1.
