The investigation of the Mumbai police into the stabbing of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan on January 16, has developed in an intriguing direction. A news article reported that the prints of the crime scene are not of the suspect, Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad, currently being detained.
Fingerprint Evidence Raises Doubts
The Mid-Day newspaper reported that 19 fingerprint samples were recovered from the apartment of Saif where the assault took place. None of these samples matched Shahzad’s fingerprints. Sources indicate that on Friday, the Mumbai police sent the samples to the state criminal investigation department’s fingerprint bureau. A system-generated report confirmed the discrepancy.
And in response, the police have reportedly sent further samples for additional testing. A Mumbai police officer, speaking anonymously, claimed that a “preliminary report” had shown a match but emphasized that the final results were still pending.
Public and Family Skepticism
Concerns have been expressed by social media users and Shahzad’s family about the police version of events. Online commentators made a note of the disparities between Shahzad’s facial features and those of the person filmed by the CCTV camera at Saif’s building. Shahzad’s father who is in Bangladesh also says that the person in the footage does not look like his son.
Despite skepticism, during last week, the deputy commissioner of police Dixit Gedam refuted those doubts. He argued that higher quality CCTV footage, with a high degree of certainty, properly connected Shahzad to the crime.
Details of the Crime
The intruder reportedly entered Saif Ali Khan’s 12th-floor apartment between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on January 16. According to the police complaint filed by Eliyamma Philip, nanny to Saif’s youngest son, Jeh, the man demanded ₹1 crore while attempting to hold her and the four-year-old hostage.
Philip claimed she was woken by a noise and confronted the intruder, who later assaulted her. Saif, who intervened, was then stabbed several times in the fight.
Saif was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in an auto-rickshaw. After a five-hour surgery, doctors removed a 2.5-inch blade fragment from his back. The actor has now been discharged and is on convalescence at home.
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Police Investigation
The police recovered fingerprints from many items the alleged intruder touched–a bathroom window, pipes, and a ladder. Except that the discovery of this fingerprint mismatch raised more questions about Shahzad’s role.
Hours after Shahzad’s arrest on January 19, the police claimed he had entered Saif’s home intending to rob it, unaware of its celebrity occupant. Nevertheless, in the courtroom, they claimed the plausibility of an “international campaign” for the event.
Ongoing Mystery
The case remains shrouded in uncertainty. The mismatch in the fingerprint leads to doubts regarding the veracity of the police report and the actual perpetrator.
With the investigation going on, currently, it is in focus the evidence handling and the police’s assertions of an international component. In the meantime, Saif Ali Khan’s fans look to the heavens for revenge for the near-death attack that actor Saif Ali Khan narrowly escaped.
This case highlights some of the difficulties inherent in balancing public scrutiny and high-quality evidence gathering in high-profile investigations. Having the forensic testing ongoing now, as to when the truth will jive with the current story only time can tell.
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