Saif Ali Khan attack case: Police claim facial recognition confirms accused is the same man caught on CCTV

The still from CCTV footage of the suspect on January 16, the day of the incident. PIC/PTI (right) Shariful Islam, immediately after his arrest in Thane, on January 19. PIC/DIWAKAR SHARMA

The Bandra police investigating the Saif Ali Khan attack case claimed on Friday that the forensic facial analysis report of the accused, Shariful Islam, matches the images captured on CCTV footage recovered during the investigation. While officials have confirmed this development, they have declined to go on record. The police have not specified which samples were sent to the forensic team at the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

The most critical footage that should have been analysed was from the sixth floor of Satguru Sharan, where the accused was seen on the staircase going up and coming down on January 16. The attack on Saif Ali Khan occurred around 2 am, causing grievous injuries. Remarkably, Khan recovered within just four days and returned home.

Saif Ali Khan emerges from Lilavati Hospital around 4.45 pm on January 21. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE

Sources reveal that the Bandra police submitted multiple samples of the accused, including images captured from various angles and a photograph taken after his arrest, to the Kalina FSL for forensic facial analysis, also known as a facial recognition test. According to Mumbai police sources, forensic facial analysis involves around 10 key parameters that must match to confirm the identity of a suspect.

When approached by mid-day about the specific images sent to FSL for analysis, officials declined to comment. However, it is crucial for the Bandra police and senior officers overseeing the case to confirm whether CCTV footage from Khan's building - where the intruder was first seen - was included in the forensic examination.

"We have received a report from the FSL confirming that the accused's face matches the suspect's images recovered during the investigation," a senior IPS officer of the Mumbai police disclosed on the condition of anonymity.

The Mumbai police faced backlash after the accused's arrest, which occurred 72 hours after the attack in Thane. Social media erupted with hashtags questioning whether the police had apprehended the right person, as there was little visible resemblance between the CCTV footage from Khan's building and the arrested individual.

mid-day on Sunday reported that 19 fingerprint samples sent to the CID Fingerprint Bureau did not match. While officials confirmed that fingerprint samples were sent, they stated that reports are still awaited.