In a shocking development in the case connected to the knife attack against actor Saif Ali Khan, none of the fingerprints collected from his residence matches that of Shariful Islam, the accused nabbed by Mumbai police in the case.
According to multiple media reports citing police sources, a system-generated report from the fingerprint bureau of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has established that none of the 19 fingerprint samples collected from Khan's residence matches that of Shariful, who Mumbai Police say is the prime accused in the case.
After being informed by the CID that the test results had turned negative, Mumbai police has sent more samples for further testing.
30-year-old Shariful Islam was nabbed by the Mumbai Police on January 19, with the help of Western Railway who used CCTV footage recovered from the staircase of Khan's residence to identify the accused.
Seeking extended custody of the accused, the Mumbai Police on January 24 informed the metropolitan magistrate's court in Bandra that a facial recognition test of Shariful is needed to ascertain that he was the same person seen in the CCTV footage.
Shariful's father has claimed that the person in the CCTV footage which was circulated widely post the attack, does not resemble his son.
According to police, Shariful, a Bangladeshi national, who changed his name to Vijay Das, crossed the Dawki River to enter India illegally seven months ago. He allegedly entered Khan's residence and attacked the 54-year-old actor with the intention of theft. The police is also suspecting the involvement of more people in the attack.
Saif Ali Khan suffered six stab injuries including one close to his spine after he was attacked by the intruder at his residence on the morning of January 15. He was rushed to the nearby Lilavati Hospital and had to undergo emergency surgery.