Saif Ali Khan stabbing case: Accused says he was wrongfully arrested, seeks bail

The bail plea emphasized that the accused had fully cooperated with the investigation and argued that keeping him in custody any longer would serve no meaningful purpose.

Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, the 30-year-old Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence, has now applied for bail, claiming that he has been falsely implicated in the case.

According to a report by PTI, the accused filed a plea before the sessions court on Friday, asserting that "the first information report is patently false and a false case has been registered against him."

The shocking incident took place on January 16 when an intruder managed to enter Saif Ali Khan’s 12th-floor apartment in the upscale Bandra area and attacked him with a knife multiple times. The 54-year-old actor was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

Two days after the attack, police arrested Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad. In his bail plea, the accused argued that his arrest was unlawful, claiming that the investigating agency had "clearly and blatantly disregarded" Section 47 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). This section mandates that a person must be informed of the grounds for their arrest and their right to bail.

The plea further contended that even if the witnesses' statements were accepted as absolute truth, purely for the sake of argument and without admitting anything and they would still fail to establish the essential elements required under Section 311 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to robbery or dacoity committed with the intent to cause death or grievous harm. Filed through advocate Ajay Gawali, the plea also stated that all necessary recovery and discovery procedures had been completed, the investigation was practically concluded, and only the formal filing of the chargesheet remained pending.

Also read: Sara Ali Khan recalls dad Saif Ali Khan’s stabbing incident: Those 15-20 minutes felt like a lifetime...

The bail plea emphasized that the accused had fully cooperated with the investigation and argued that keeping him in custody any longer would serve no meaningful purpose. The court is set to hear the plea on April 1.

(With inputs from PTI)