Saif Ali Khan Stabbing: Lawyer Rejects Police Claim of Suspect's Bangladeshi Illegal Immigrant Status

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): The lawyer representing Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, the man accused of stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has denied the Mumbai Police's claim that his client is an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant. Advocate Sandeep Shekhane stated that the police have not provided any evidence to support their accusation that Shehzad is a Bangladeshi national or that he arrived in Mumbai six months ago. Shekhane further asserted that Shehzad has been living in Mumbai for over seven years with his family and criticized the investigation as insufficient, pointing to a breach of Section 43A.

Shehzad was arrested on Saturday night after allegedly breaking into Saif Ali Khan's residence around 2:00 AM on January 16. The police claimed that the accused entered the house carrying a knife and demanded ₹1 crore. When confronted, he reportedly stabbed Khan multiple times. The actor was immediately taken to Lilavati Hospital where doctors removed a 2.5-inch-long blade. Saif Ali Khan is now out of danger and is expected to be discharged soon.

Another defense lawyer, Dinesh Prajapati dismissed the police's reasons for seeking Shehzad's custody, arguing that they lacked sufficient evidence and had not recovered anything to back their allegations. Despite this, the court granted the police five days of custody to continue their investigation. The police maintain that Shehzad is originally from Jhalokati district in Bangladesh and was planning to escape to his home village before being caught in Thane's Hiranandani Estate. Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar revealed that Shehzad had confessed to the crime but claimed he was unaware that he had entered Saif Ali Khan's house.