Bangladeshi man accused of stabbing Saif Ali Khan seeks bail, claims false implication
In his petition, Shariful contended that the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him was fabricated and that he had been falsely implicated. “The present accused states that the FIR is patently false, and a false case has been registered against him,” the plea stated
MUMBAI: Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad, a 30-year-old man of Bangladeshi origin, who was arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan during a break-in at his Bandra residence in the early hours of January 16, has moved a bail plea before the sessions court.
In his petition, Shariful contended that the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him was fabricated and that he had been falsely implicated. “The present accused states that the FIR is patently false, and a false case has been registered against him,” the plea stated. The matter is scheduled to be heard by sessions judge SM Patil on April 1.
The 54-year-old actor sustained multiple stab wounds when he confronted the intruder and attempted to restrain him during the alleged robbery attempt. Khan was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, where he underwent emergency surgery before being discharged a few days later. Shariful was arrested by Mumbai Police from Thane two days after the attack.
Initially, Shariful was booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to robbery, dacoity, and trespassing. However, following an investigation, the police added Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the BNS. The bail plea argued that the charges do not meet the legal criteria for an attempt to murder. “Even if the statements of the witnesses are taken at face value, they do not satisfy the ingredients of Section 311 of BNS, which pertains to robbery with intent to cause death,” the plea stated.
The defence further claimed that Shariful had fully cooperated with the investigation and that keeping him in custody served no purpose. Advocate Ajay Gawali, who filed the bail application, asserted that there was no concrete evidence linking Shariful to the crime and described the FIR as “an imaginary story of the complainant.”
Highlighting alleged misuse of legal provisions, the plea stated, “The charges against the applicant are completely baseless and false, and he has been wrongfully implicated.” It also pointed out that the investigation is nearly complete and argued that Shariful posed no risk of tampering with evidence.
The court will take up the bail plea for hearing on April 1.
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