Saif Ali Khan Attack: Arrested suspect's fingerprints do not match those found at the crime scene, state CID sources

Social media users already pointed out inconsistencies between CCTV footage of the alleged attacker and Shariful's physical appearance.

In a twist to the investigation into the attack on Saif Ali Khan, sources from the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have revealed that fingerprints from the crime scene do not match those of Shariful Islam Shehzad, the Bangladeshi national arrested as the prime suspect, reports Mid-day. This discrepancy raises significant doubts about the Mumbai Police’s investigation and the possible involvement of another suspect.

Reportedly, none of the 19 fingerprints collected from the crime scene match Shariful’s. This finding was relayed to CID officials in Pune and undermines the initial conclusion that Shariful was the sole perpetrator.

Social media users already pointed out inconsistencies between CCTV footage of the alleged attacker and Shariful's physical appearance.

Shariful was apprehended in Thane after a 72-hour manhunt by nearly 40 police teams. He was identified through a combination of CCTV footage and a suspected cell phone location. However, the arrest is now being questioned, especially as the Zone 6 team that made the arrest reportedly lacked detailed knowledge of the case, which was primarily managed by Zone 9 authorities.

The case’s reliance on facial recognition has also come under fire. The CCTV footage of the suspect leaving Saif Ali Khan’s residence was too blurry to conclusively identify the individual. Instead, the Western Railway generated an image using facial recognition technology, which has since been called into question for not matching the suspect’s appearance.

Despite these discrepancies, the Bandra Police secured an extension of Shariful’s custody on Friday. The police are reportedly considering the possibility of an accomplice or an entirely different perpetrator being involved in the attack.