'We may be poor, but aren't criminals': Saif attacker's father
What's the story
Mohammad Ruhul Amin Fakir, the father of Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir—arrested for allegedly stabbing Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan—plans to approach senior Bangladeshi politicians.
He wants to present his son's case as a diplomatic issue, refuting claims of his son's guilt, and saying he was an easy target due to his illegal entry into India.
"We may be poor, but we are not criminals," Ruhul told ToI.
Defense stance
Fakir claimed his son was framed
Ruhul, a village-level functionary of Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has always defended his son.
He told IANS, "From what is shown in the CCTV...my son never keeps his hair long. I believe my son is being framed."
He further said that Shariful was only looking for better economic opportunities in India after facing political backlash in Bangladesh for supporting Zia.
Migration details
Shariful's journey from Bangladesh to India
Per Ruhul, Shariful left Bangladesh in April amid increasing political instability and a grim future in his village.
He crossed into India without legal documents, first working at a West Bengal hotel before moving to Mumbai for better pay.
Despite serious allegations against Shariful, Ruhul said he hasn't received any communication from the police regarding his son's case.
Investigation progress
Mumbai Police's actions and Khan's statement in stabbing case
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police arrested Shariful on January 19 from Thane, connecting him to the attack on Khan at his Bandra home during an attempted robbery on January 16.
The police recorded Khan's statement at his residence 'Satguru Sharan' on Thursday.
Joint CP of Law and Order, Satyanarayan Choudhary, confirmed that the accused had entered Khan's residence with an intent to commit theft.
Detention details
Shariful was detained while attempting to flee
The police said Shariful was on the verge of escaping to his native village in Bangladesh when he was arrested from Hiranandani Estate in Thane.
He was later remanded to five-day police custody by the Bandra Holiday Court on Sunday.
The case has been registered under Sections 311, 312, 331(4), 331(6), and 331(7) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Further, fingerprints collected from the crime scene matched those of Shariful.