Mumbai, Apr 1: The hearing for the bail plea of Shariful Islam, one of the individuals arrested in connection with the stabbing attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, took place on Tuesday, April 1. However, the proceedings were delayed as the police failed to file their response in court. The next hearing has been scheduled for April 4, with the court directing the police to submit their reply regarding the bail application.
In his plea, Shariful Islam, also known as Shehzad, has denied the charges, claiming that the case against him is fabricated. His lawyer, Ajay Gawali, argued that the First Information Report (FIR) was improperly filed. Shehzad further stated that he has fully cooperated with the investigation and that the police already have all the necessary evidence, making any tampering with it impossible.
The case is currently being heard at the Bandra Magistrate Court but is expected to be transferred to the Sessions Court once the police submit the chargesheet. As of now, the chargesheet has not been filed by the Bandra Police.
The attack on Saif Ali Khan occurred on January 16, when Shehzad allegedly attempted a robbery at the actor's Bandra residence. During the incident, Khan was severely injured, sustaining damage to his thoracic spine and other injuries. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was treated for five days before being discharged on January 21.
The Mumbai Police have stated that they have substantial evidence linking Shehzad to the attack. Investigators revealed that Shehzad entered India from Bangladesh and stayed in various locations in Kolkata before traveling to Mumbai. In an earlier statement, Additional Commissioner of Police Paramjit Singh Dahiya dismissed rumors about mismatched fingerprints. "Whenever an accusation is made, multiple pieces of evidence are gathered. We have gathered oral, physical, and technical evidence against the accused... We have apprehended the right person," Dahiya said.
