Saif Ali Khan's attacker seeks bail, says he was booked in false case

Shariful Islam, immediately after his arrest at Hiranandani Estate, Thane, early on January 19. PIC/DIWAKAR SHARMA

The 30-year-old Bangladeshi national arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his house in Bandra has applied for bail, claiming that a false case has been registered against him, reported news agency PTI.

In a plea before the sessions court on Friday, the accused, Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, claimed that "the first information report is patently false and a false case has been registered against him", reported PTI.

Khan (54) was stabbed multiple times with a knife by an intruder inside his 12th-floor apartment in upscale Bandra on January 16.

He underwent an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital.

The police arrested Shariful two days after the attack.

The accused, in the plea, claimed his arrest was illegal, as the investigating agency had "clearly and blatantly disregarded" section 47 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), reported PTI.

Section 47 pertains to informing a person about the grounds of his arrest and right to bail.

The plea stated that even if the witnesses' statements are taken as gospel truth, without admitting anything on record, for the sake of arguments, it won't be able to fulfil the ingredient of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 311 (robbery or dacoity committed with the intent to cause death or grievous hurt), reported PTI.

Shariful, in the plea filed through Ajay Gawali, said all the necessary recovery and discovery was done, the investigation is practically complete, and the mere filing of the chargesheet is pending.

The bail plea stated that the accused has cooperated with the investigation and "no useful purpose will be served by detaining him further in custody". The plea will be heard on April 1.

(With inputs from PTI)