Was Saif Ali Khan's Attacker Misidentified? Social Media Raises Questions

The recent knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has sparked debates about the identity of the attacker. Social media users are questioning whether the person arrested, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, is the same as the one seen in the CCTV footage. Doubts stem from apparent differences between the footage and the suspect’s photo shared by the police.

Saif Ali Khan was attacked at his Bandra West residence on January 16, suffering three stab wounds. These included injuries to his hand, neck, and a severe wound near his spine. The actor underwent a six-hour surgery after a 2.5-inch knife was embedded in his body. After being discharged on Tuesday, Khan is recovering at home.

Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested in Thane after a three-day manhunt. Reports suggest he targeted Khan’s home randomly due to extreme poverty, intending to steal from a wealthy individual. On Sunday, a Mumbai court remanded the accused to five days of police custody. Despite the arrest, netizens have raised concerns about a mismatch between the arrested man and the person seen in the building’s CCTV footage.

The CCTV footage, taken from the sixth floor of Saif’s building, shows a man descending the staircase carrying a black bag and jacket. However, Shariful’s father, Md Ruhul Amin Fakir, claims the person in the footage does not resemble his son. Speaking to ABP Majha, he said, 'I know my son, and the two images are completely different. My son never kept long hair like the person in the video.'

In another video, the suspected attacker was seen purchasing headphones from a store near Lakshmi Hotel, Dadar. The image of the arrested man, shared by the police, appeared drastically different from the earlier footage, fueling public skepticism.

This is not the first time the investigation faced scrutiny. Earlier, the police arrested Aakash Kanojia from Chhattisgarh, only to discover his lack of connection to the case. Such discrepancies are now raising serious questions about the accuracy of the Mumbai Police’s investigation.