In a significant development in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai Police has revealed that fingerprint samples collected from the actor’s residence did not match those of the main accused, Mohammad Shariful Islam.
Out of nearly 20 samples sent to the state CID’s Fingerprint Bureau, 19 did not match with Shariful Islam’s fingerprints. According to the chargesheet, prints taken from key spots inside the house — including the black bathroom door, bedroom sliding door, and a cupboard — didn’t match with that of the accused. The only print that matched was found on the eighth floor of the building, outside the actor’s flat.
Police sources, however, cautioned that fingerprint evidence is not always conclusive, as objects in shared or accessible spaces are touched by multiple people. They stated that the probability of a fingerprint match is as low as one in 1000, and absence of prints doesn’t necessarily rule out someone’s involvement.
Last week, the Mumbai Police submitted a comprehensive chargesheet, over 1000 pages long, at the Metropolitan Magistrate Court. The document includes fingerprint analysis, facial recognition test results, an identification parade report, and forensic findings.
The police also opposed Shariful’s bail plea, citing forensic evidence linking him to the crime. They pointed out that the knife fragment retrieved from near Saif Ali Khan’s spine during surgery matched the blade found at the crime scene. Both were consistent with the weapon allegedly recovered from the accused.
The attack took place in the early hours of January 16 at Mumbai residence of Saif Ali Khan. According to reports, the incident happened at about 2 a.m., and it was triggered when the actor heard noise after one of his female staff members had been attacked in his son Jeh’s room. Saif reportedly engaged with the intruder, which resulted in a violent confrontation and serious injuries to the actor. The case continues to develop which may uncover further concerns about the timing of events and the part played by the accused.