Saif Ali Khan stabbing case: court denies police custody extension for accused

A Mumbai court has rejected the police's request for further custody of Mohammad Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national accused of stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan during an attempted robbery.

Instead, the court has remanded the accused to 14 days of judicial custody, stating that there were no new grounds to justify extending his police remand.

The Bandra Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Komal Sing Rajput, examined the police's application and found no fresh evidence to support an extension of Islam's custody. However, citing provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the court noted that the police could seek additional custody within the permissible time if new developments arise.

Under the new criminal laws, an accused can be held in police custody for up to 15 days, either continuously or intermittently, within 40 to 60 days of arrest, depending on the severity of the offense.

Islam, 30, was arrested on January 19 in Thane, three days after allegedly breaking into the 12th-floor residence of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan in Mumbai’s Bandra neighborhood. The prosecution claims that he intended to commit robbery but was confronted by Saif Ali Khan (54). In the altercation, the accused allegedly stabbed the actor multiple times before escaping.

Saif underwent emergency surgery following the attack and was discharged after five days in the hospital.

On Wednesday, the police requested an extension of the accused’s custody, arguing that Islam had not fully disclosed details about those who facilitated his illegal entry into India. They also claimed that he provided incomplete information about his financial transactions.

According to the police, a team was sent to Kolkata to investigate further, and statements from key individuals were recorded. Additionally, CCTV footage from the building and the accused’s photograph have been sent for forensic facial recognition analysis. The clothes worn during the crime, the weapon, and other tools were also sent for chemical testing.

Authorities are still working to identify the individuals who helped Islam cross the border from Bangladesh into India. Police allege that he changed his name from Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad to Bijoy Das after entering India.

Islam’s defense lawyers, Dinesh Prajapati and Sandeep Sherkhane, opposed the police’s request, asserting that the investigation into their client was already complete.

After reviewing the case, the court sided with the defense, ruling that the evidence presented did not justify continued police custody. Islam will now remain in judicial custody for 14 days, while the investigation continues.

Islam’s father, who resides in Bangladesh, has denied the allegations, claiming that the person seen in CCTV footage is not his son and that Islam has been falsely implicated in the case.

The case remains under investigation, with law enforcement agencies working to uncover the accused’s network and possible accomplices.