Mumbai:

Multiple departments under the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina in Mumbai will examine key pieces of evidence seized by the police investigating actor Saif Ali Khan knife attack case, officials said on Wednesday.

Police on Sunday arrested the attacker, identified as Bangladeshi national Shareeful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, for stabbing Khan at his Bandra apartment on January 16 during a burglary bid.

A variety of materials, including mobile phones, clothes of the accused, and CCTV footage seized following the arrest of Fakir (30) alias Vijay Das, have been sent to the FSL for examination.

FSL departments such as Tape Authentication and Speaker Identification (TASI), Biology, DNA, Footprints, Physics, Cyber, and others will be involved in analysing the evidence, a police official said.

An official said police didn’t notice blood stains on the clothes of the accused seized from his bag when he was arrested from Thane.

The official said investigators are facing difficulty in interrogating Fakir due to the language barrier as he speaks Hindi with a heavy Bangladeshi accent.

The accused has been asked to speak slowly so that police could decipher his statements, the official added.

Police on Tuesday reconstructed the sequence of events of the crime unfolded at Khan’s building in Bandra. The accused was taken to a nearby building briefly during the recreation of the crime, the official added.

A day before, Khan was discharged from a private hospital in Mumbai after five days during which he underwent two surgeries.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jammu:

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday condemned the attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and stated that an entire nation cannot be blamed for the actions of one individual.

Addressing the media, Abdullah said “I am against these things happening and I wish him well. If someone has come and attacked Saif Ali Khan, you can’t blame a nation for one man’s doings. How can you put one person who does something one the nation.”

Meanwhile, the actor was discharged from the Lilavati Hospital after five days of treatment.

His return home was closely followed by heavy police security, and visuals of the actor exiting the hospital with a smile and waving at the paparazzi.

Saif greeted his fans and the media present outside his residence as he made his way back home.

On Wednesday, Mumbai Police reached the ‘Devara’ actor’s home to record his statement on the matter.

Actor Ronit Roy, known for his roles in TV shows and films, was seen with Saif as he returned home on Tuesday.

Many were curious about Roy’s presence, as he was seen coordinating with police officials and overseeing security arrangements at Saif and Kareena Kapoor’s home.

It has since been confirmed that Saif Ali Khan has employed Ronit Roy’s security firm, ‘Ace Security and Protection,’ to enhance his safety following the attack.

Saif was attacked last week by an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, who entered his home with the intent of theft.

The actor attempted to intervene, leading to a violent confrontation during which he sustained stab wounds to his thoracic spine. Saif was rushed to Lilavati Hospital for immediate treatment following the attack.

The auto-rickshaw driver who helped Saif that night spoke to ANI, recalling the incident in detail.

“It was around 2-3 a.m. when I saw a woman trying to hire an auto, but nobody stopped. I also heard calls for a rickshaw from inside the gate. I took a U-turn and stopped my vehicle near the gate. A man covered in blood came out, along with 2-4 others. They put him in the auto and decided to go to Lilavati Hospital. I dropped them there, and later I came to know that he was Saif Ali Khan,” the driver, Rana, shared.

He described seeing Saif bleeding from his neck and back as he rushed to the hospital.

The accused, Shehzad, was apprehended at Hiranandani Estate in Thane while attempting to flee to his native village in Bangladesh. The police said he hails from the Jhalokati district in Bangladesh.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)