Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: Bangladeshi National Mohd. Shariful Islam Moves Mumbai Court To Plead Guilty

The accused in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, Mohammad Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, has moved a Mumbai court expressing his willingness to plead guilty to the charges against him.

The application was filed before the City Sessions Court, Mumbai, on August 28, when Islam was produced from judicial custody.

The Court took the application on record and called upon the prosecution to file a response. The matter has been adjourned to September 11, 2026.

Saif Ali Khan stabbing case

Islam is being prosecuted in connection with the January 16, 2025 incident at actor Saif Ali Khan's 12th-floor residence in Mumbai's Bandra area.

According to the prosecution's case, an intruder entered the residence allegedly with the intention of committing robbery and confronted people inside the apartment. The confrontation allegedly turned violent, during which Khan suffered multiple stab injuries.

Khan was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. During his treatment, doctors found that a fragment of the knife had lodged near his spine, while spinal fluid leakage was also detected. He was discharged from the hospital after five days.

Charges framed against accused

The accused (Islam) was arrested on January 19, 2025, following the incident. The prosecution alleges that the investigation subsequently established that he was a Bangladeshi national who had entered India illegally.

Formal charges were framed against him earlier this month, paving the way for the trial. Islam faces charges under Section 311 (Robbery involving a deadly weapon), 118 (causing grievous hurt) and 331 (house trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He is also facing charges under provisions of the Foreigners Act and the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, concerning allegations relating to his nationality and entry into India.

Prosecution relies on forensic evidence

The prosecution has relied on several pieces of investigative and forensic material in support of its case, including fingerprint evidence, facial-recognition analysis and forensic laboratory findings. According to the prosecution, fingerprints attributed to Islam's left hand were recovered from the crime scene.

The investigation also refers to a facial recognition examination that allegedly found a match between the accused and the person captured on CCTV footage from Khan's residence.

A Chemical Analysis (CA) report prepared by the Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina, is also relied upon by the prosecution. It allegedly concluded that a piece of knife blade recovered from the scene, another broken piece recovered from the accused, and the fragment removed from Khan's body were parts of the same weapon.

The prosecution further relies on medical evidence stating that Khan's injuries were consistent with wounds caused by the recovered weapon.

Accused now seeks to plead guilty

Against this backdrop, Islam has now filed an application expressing his willingness to plead guilty.

The Court's latest order also records that the prosecution filed its compliance under Section 294 CrPC, along with its list of documents, witnesses and muddemal. The Court directed the issuance of witness summons and accepted the muddemal list on record. The matter was initially posted for admission/denial on September 11.

During the later part of the proceedings, Islam was again produced from judicial custody and filed the application expressing his willingness to plead guilty. The Court marked it as Exhibit 14 and called for the prosecution's say. The next hearing is on September 11, 2026.

For Islam, Advocate Ashraf Kazi, along with Advocate Yash Surana, appeared. Advocate Vipul Dushing appeared on brief. The prosecution was represented by APP Anand Sukhadeve.

Case Title: The State Of Maharashtra Bandra Police Station v. Mohammad Shariful Islam Sajjad Fakir alias Vijay Das