Thirty-year-old Mohammad Shariful Islam was arrested two days after the January 16 attack from a jungle in Thane, where he had been hiding in a makeshift shelter. The 54-year-old actor had been stabbed multiple times in his 12th-floor apartment in Bandra and was admitted to Lilavati Hospital for emergency surgery. He was discharged after five days
Mohammad Shariful Islam, the accused in the case. File pic
The Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan has moved a bail application before a Mumbai court, claiming that the first information report (FIR) against him is an “imaginary story” and insisted that he is innocent, PTI reported.
Thirty-year-old Mohammad Shariful Islam was arrested two days after the January 16 attack from a jungle in Thane, where he had been hiding in a makeshift shelter. The 54-year-old actor had been stabbed multiple times in his 12th-floor apartment in Bandra and was admitted to Lilavati Hospital for emergency surgery. He was discharged after five days.
In the bail plea filed on Friday through advocate Vipul Dushing, Islam said he had no prior criminal record and did not pose a risk of tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses. He claimed the investigation was nearly complete, with only the filing of the charge sheet pending, reported PTI.
“The present FIR is nothing but an imaginary story of the complainant,” the plea stated.
The application also flagged alleged procedural lapses by police, citing non-compliance with Section 47 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which requires police to inform an accused of the grounds of arrest and their right to bail.
The court has adjourned the matter to July 21 for the prosecution’s reply.
Meanwhile, details in the 900-page chargesheet, filed in April, revealed that Islam had fled to a forested area in neighbouring Thane after the attack, where he lived in a temporary structure made of plastic sheets and bamboos. He allegedly used an acquaintance’s phone to follow media coverage of the case on YouTube, and only then realised the identity of the person he had assaulted.
The charge sheet also names Islam’s employer, Amit Pandey, who allegedly advised him to escape to Bangladesh. According to police, Pandey initially tried to mislead investigators and was arrested later for sheltering the accused.
Islam has been lodged at Arthur Road Jail since his arrest. He faces charges under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt), among others.
Police said the motive behind the attack was still under investigation, though preliminary statements suggest a dispute over money may have triggered the assault.
(With PTI inputs)
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