Shariful Islam Shehzad, the Bangladeshi migrant accused of stabbing Saif Ali Khan during a home invasion last week, has been identified as a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), his father, Mohammed Ruhul Amin, revealed in a conversation with NDTV.
Shehzad, who allegedly fled Bangladesh in March 2024, reportedly crossed into India via the Dawki River in Meghalaya before settling in Mumbai under the alias Bijoy Das. However, his father insists that Mumbai Police have apprehended the wrong person.
“His age is 30. From an early age, his face is heavy, and he has hair on both sides (but it is short) … In the photo (the CCTV footage) the hair reaches till the eyes. That kind of hair is not my son’s. (So) no, it is not him… my son never keeps his hair long. I believe my son is being framed,” Ruhul Amin said, adding that his son fled Bangladesh due to “political persecution” under Sheikh Hasina‘s government, which ruled for 16 years before being ousted in August 2024.
According to Amin, Shehzad sought refuge in India to escape a series of false criminal cases and alleged torture inflicted on BNP supporters. “My son went to India in 2024… in the last week of March or first week of April. He had only intention. For 16 years the Hasina government was in power. There were false cases… even mobile theft cases (against him). The political atmosphere was bad (and) my son felt he could not live in the country. So then, at that time, he decided to go to India (to find a job),” Amin claimed.
When asked if Shehzad fled due to the cases against him, Mr. Amin responded, “No, he did not.” He further explained, “There was (also) a lot of torture. There were cases against him for no crimes. My two sons and I work for the BNP… I hold a post and there were a lot of false cases (against me also).”
Amin also suggested that Shehzad worked in the hospitality industry, noting that hotels in Mumbai were larger and paid better than those in Bengal or Kolkata, which led many to believe he had moved to Mumbai for work.
When asked whether Indian authorities had informed him of his son’s arrest, Mr. Amin replied, “No, no one has contacted us. We don’t know anyone in India. We have no support there.”
Authorities have reportedly recovered Bangladeshi government documents that confirm Shehzad’s nationality. They believe he was living in Mumbai and working in the hospitality industry. Police tracked him down using a UPI transaction at a local eatery and arrested him from Thane on Sunday.
Despite the arrest, Shehzad’s father and lawyer maintain his innocence, asserting that he is being made a scapegoat due to the high-profile nature of the attack. Meanwhile, some reports suggest that Shehzad has confessed to the crime, although such confessions are inadmissible in court.
Saif Ali Khan, who sustained six stab wounds, including one near his spinal cord, underwent emergency surgery and was discharged from the hospital after five days. He is now recovering at home.
A Mumbai court has extended Shehzad’s police custody until January 29 to facilitate further investigation and recover crucial evidence, including his clothing from the night of the incident.
