Mumbai: Forensic analysis has confirmed that the fingerprints of Shariful Fakir (30), arrested for breaking into Saif Ali Khan’s Bandra residence and stabbing him on Jan 16, have matched those found at multiple locations in the actor’s flat, said police hours after they recovered a white bag containing various tools and a broken knife piece which the suspect had discarded near Bandra Talao.
The evidence includes prints found on the duct pipe, Saif’s younger son Jehangir’s bedroom door handle and a bathroom door, said police.
Bandra police on Thursday recorded Saif’s statement on the violent confrontation with the intruder in his 11th floor flat at Satguru Sharan. The actor said, “My grip loosened after the stranger stabbed me repeatedly on my back with a knife after I overpowered him.” Saif said his family members and staff were frightened upon encountering the armed assailant. He rushed towards the intruder to protect his son and the staff. According to his statement, Saif and his wife Kareena were in their bedroom, while his son Taimur was in another room with a nurse. His younger son Jehangir was in a separate bedroom with staff nurse Eliyamma Phillip and a domestic helper when Phillip noticed the intruder.
A police officer said: “Saif said he and Kareena came out of the bedroom on hearing Phillip’s scream and Jehangir crying. He saw a stranger attacking Phillip. So he charged at him and grabbed him. The stranger stabbed him to escape.” Following his return from hospital, Saif learnt from Phillip that the intruder had demanded Rs 1 crore. Police said after the attack, Saif’s sons Ibrahim and Taimur took him to hospital in an auto.
On Wednesday, police completed the crime scene reconstruction with the recovery of the white bag near Bandra Talao. “The bag contained various tools including a screwdriver, hammer, hacksaw blade, and a broken knife piece, which the accused had discarded near Bandra Talao, around 1.4km away from Satguru Sharan building on St Teresa Road,” said an officer. During the re-enactment, Shariful demonstrated to the police team his entry method: scaling a 4-ft wall to enter Satguru Sharan premises, using a ladder to climb 12ft to access the duct, reaching the fourth floor where he cut the rat mesh with a knife. He then used the staircase to reach the 10th floor, from where he climbed through the duct pipe to enter the bathroom in Khan’s 11th floor flat. He used the same route to escape.
The team visited multiple locations with Shariful, including Bandra Talao, Bandra station, Dadar and Worli-Koliwada, where they documented statements from the salon worker who cut his hair. “Police analysed footage from over 650 CCTV cameras, both private and govt-owned…,around three dozen recordings show his presence in the area and his movements, which serve as evidence,” said police.
Shariful, who is an illegal Bangladeshi migrant, told police that his intention was to only commit burglary and not harm the actor. He requested the police to deport him to his home country.
Shariful will be produced before Bandra court on Friday.
