Mumbai police confirmed today that facial recognition technology has identified Mohammad Shariful Islam as the man seen in CCTV footage from the crime scene in actor Saif Ali Khan’s Bandra residence. The accused allegedly broke into Mr. Khan’s apartment on January 16 and stabbed him six times before fleeing.
Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested in Thane on January 19. His father, Mohammed Ruhul Amin, has strongly denied his son’s involvement, questioning the validity of the CCTV footage. “The CCTV pictures are not of my son,” he told NDTV, arguing that Islam’s usual appearance does not match the attacker. “His face is heavy, and he has short hair. The person in the footage has long hair reaching his eyes. That is not my son.”
Despite his claims, Mumbai Police maintain that facial recognition technology confirms Islam’s identity. However, fingerprint analysis conducted by the CID did not match Islam’s prints to those found at Mr. Khan’s residence. Further forensic tests on the accused’s clothing and belongings are ongoing.
Mr. Amin also revealed his son’s political ties to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), claiming he fled Bangladesh due to political persecution under the Awami League government. He insists Islam entered India seeking work, not to commit crimes.Meanwhile, police are investigating how Islam entered India illegally and whether he had assistance in obtaining fake documents.