Saif Ali Khan stabbing case: Facial recognition confirms suspect's identity
What's the story
In a major development in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, facial recognition technology has confirmed the identity of the suspect, Shariful Islam Shehzad. The Face Recognition Test (FRT) conducted by Mumbai Police matched Shariful's face with that of the person caught on CCTV at Khan's residence. This confirmation comes amid Shariful's father's claims that his son is being "framed" by Mumbai Police.
Planned protest
Shariful's father to protest at Indian High Commission
Shariful is a Bangladeshi national who was arrested for allegedly stabbing Khan multiple times. Now, his father reportedly plans to visit the Indian High Commission in protest of his son's arrest. He claims Mumbai Police is unjustly implicating his son in the case. On Wednesday, a Mumbai court rejected the city police's plea seeking Shariful's custody. The court sent him to judicial remand, saying there were no fresh grounds to extend his police custody.
Crime details
Details of the alleged crime and subsequent arrest
Shariful is accused of breaking into the 12th-storey residence of actor couple Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan in Bandra with the intent to rob. When confronted by Khan, Shariful allegedly stabbed him multiple times before fleeing. He was arrested on January 19 from neighboring Thane. The police are still investigating people who may have aided Shariful in entering India illegally and his financial transactions.
Evidence collection
Police have 'strong technical evidence' to prove Shariful's guilt
Additional Commissioner of Police (West Region), Paramjeet Singh Dahiya, said they have "strong technical evidence" to prove Shariful's involvement. This includes CCTV footage, mobile phone location data, and an Internet Protocol Details Report (IPDR). The clothes worn by Shariful during the crime and his escape, the weapon used in the crime, a towel, and a bag have been sent for forensic analysis. However, fingerprint reports from the State Crime Investigation Department (CID) are still awaited.
Security measures
Khan's security has been enhanced post-incident
After the incident, security at Khan's residence has been beefed up considerably. The actor's personal security is now being handled by Ronit Roy's security firm. Despite reports of a fingerprint mismatch, police officials have refrained from commenting on a negative report from CID's Fingerprint Bureau but stressed that there's plenty of other evidence to establish that Shariful is indeed the prime suspect in this case.