Saif Ali Khan attack case: ‘Bad lighting can distort facial features on CCTV’

CCTV grab of the accused

The arrest of the suspect in the Saif Ali Khan attack case has sparked widespread discussions on social media, with many questioning the credibility of the Mumbai police. Doubts have been raised about whether the alleged attacker, identified as Bangladeshi national Shariful Islam, is truly the same person who assaulted Saif Ali Khan at his home.

Khan was attacked on January 16, and the CCTV footage of Khan's attacker had gone viral on social media. It was a challenging task for the Mumbai police to nab the accused, who had gone underground. A facial recognition security camera at Bandra railway station was key to the first breakthrough in the case. The alleged attacker was identified by the device on January 9. During further investigation, footage from D N Nagar proved pivotal, showing a biker dropping off the alleged attacker. The police traced the bike rider by identifying the vehicle's registration number and followed a series of leads to locate the accused.

Picture of the accused after he was held in Thane

The investigation revealed that the bike rider had picked up Islam from Andheri station before dropping him off at D N Nagar. Through him, they were able to identify and locate the accused. However, doubts about the arrest persist. A digital forensic expert working with law enforcement agencies said, "The CCTV footage circulating on WhatsApp and social media deteriorates in quality, making it harder to match with the arrested individual's features."

The expert added, "Law enforcement agencies don't rely on a single piece of evidence. The Mumbai police must have gathered a pile of evidence, including call detail records (CDRs), multiple CCTV frames, and eyewitness accounts, to create a watertight charge sheet. We do understand that the cops must be under tremendous pressure to solve the case, but no agency will take a chance to make an error in a high-profile case."

Cops defend their work

Mumbai police officials have defended their work, claiming they have sufficient evidence to prove Islam's guilt in court. "The accused realised the entire police force was after him. He even got a haircut the day after the incident to alter his appearance. But we have strong circumstantial evidence and aren't bothered by the social media buzz," a senior IPS officer told mid-day on condition of anonymity.

Screen grab of some of the viral tweets

Security expert Vikash Verma said differences between CCTV images and actual appearances often arise due to camera specifications, range, and lighting. "The image can be enhanced by increasing pixel clarity, but foreign surveillance cameras can also detect people through body language, walking style, and structure," he explained. Verma noted that current iPhone facial recognition technology can track changes in faces as people age, and the police likely used multiple images of the accused to match body analytics.