New twist unfolds in Saif Ali Khan attack investigation

A new development has come to light in the investigation of the stabbing incident involving Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. The charge sheet filed by the Mumbai police reveals fresh findings, showing that 19 out of the 20 fingerprints collected from the actor’s flat do not match the accused, Bangladeshi citizen Shariful Islam Shehzad.

According to the charge sheet, fingerprints found on the black bathroom door, bedroom sliding door, and wardrobe door do not match Shehzad’s. Only one fingerprint, collected from the eighth floor of the building, matched.

However, investigators have said that the chance of matching fingerprints is extremely low—about one in a thousand—since multiple individuals may touch or use items in the flat. Therefore, fingerprint evidence alone is not sufficient.

The 1,000-page charge sheet submitted by Mumbai police contains crucial evidence against Shariful Islam, including a piece of the knife stuck in Saif’s body and parts of the knife found at the crime scene, which match weapons seized from the accused.

In this context, the Mumbai police have opposed Shariful Islam’s bail application in court, stating that the investigation is still ongoing, and new information may come up in future hearings.

On the night of January 16, Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national, was accused of attacking Saif Ali Khan during an attempted burglary at the actor's Bandra residence. He is charged with entering Saif Khan's home with the intent to rob, and assaulting both the actor and his employee Geeta with a wooden weapon and a hexablade. Saif Khan suffered severe injuries, with part of the weapon lodged in his back, which required multiple surgeries. After five days of treatment, he was discharged from Mumbai's Leelavati Hospital on January 21.