Saif Ali Khan attack case: The curious case of mismatched fingerprints

The recently filed charge sheetmdashspanning over 1600 pagesmdashin the Saif Ali Khan attack case by Bandra police confirms middayrsquos exclusive report published on January 26 As reported crucial fingerprint samples collected from inside Khanrsquos flat where he was allegedly attacked by Bangladeshi national Shariful Islam Shehzad did not match the accusedSources had earlier revealed to midday that 19 samples were sent to the State CIDrsquos Fingerprint Bureau and none matched the suspect The charge sheet now confirms this with CIDrsquos fingerprint analysis included in the official documentation It clearly states that 20 fingerprint samples collected from various parts of the crime scene were either unidentifiable or unfit for forensic comparisonldquoOut of 20 chance prints seven developed on the black bathroom door two on the sliding bedroom door and two on the cupboard doormdashall were found not identical with any of the fingerprints from the impression slips of Shahid Shabbir Sayyed suspect and Shariful Islam Shehzad arrestedrdquo the report statesIt further notes that the fingerprints were also run through the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System NAFIS and the Automated MultiModal Biometric Identification System AMBIS but none matched any fingerprints of previously arrested or convicted individuals in the NCRB or Maharashtra Fingerprint Bureau databasesRegarding the remaining ten printsmdashfive fingerprints and one palm print from the black bathroom door one from a wooden door and three from the marble and wall of the bathroommdashthe report states these did not show a sufficient number of ridge details and were unfit for comparison or practical useHowever the charge sheet includes another CID report confirming that a single left palm print found on the 8th floor of the building matched the accused ldquoOut of three chance prints one palm print developed on the wooden door 8thfloor staircase was identical with the left palm impression of Shariful Islam Shehzad arrestedrdquo the report notesTwo other prints from the 9thfloor wooden door were also found unfit for analysis due to insufficient ridge detail The charge sheet also includes another fingerprint bureau report that confirms matches with two of Khanrsquos domestic staffmdashNilesh Hari Gawade and Hemlal Nyaupane Legal experts say the absence of the accusedrsquos fingerprints from the actual crime scene could weaken the prosecutionrsquos caseldquoThe integrity of forensic evidence particularly a matched fingerprint supported by expert analysis is crucial for conviction Any inconsistencies in reports will be used by the defence to highlight discrepancies and weaken the prosecutionrsquos caserdquo said Advocate Trivankumar Karnani a criminal lawyer at the Bombay High CourtHe added ldquoIf forensic reports are inconclusive or contradictory it becomes difficult for the prosecution to rely solely on them to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt Under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam BSA formerly the Indian Evidence Act forensic evidence is key to establishing scientific credibility Any errors or contradictions in the charge sheet stage will be scrutinised during trialrdquoWhen asked DCP Zone 9 Dixitkumar Gedam clarified ldquoWhether itrsquos the crime scene or postarrest we do not collect fingerprint samples ourselves We inform the concerned agencies who collect analyse and submit reportsrdquoDespite the fingerprint mismatch police maintain they have multiple pieces of strong evidence against the accused These include CCTV facial recognition reports which allegedly match Shariful and identification by one of Khanrsquos domestic staff during a parade However Once the photo is leaked before the identification parade as the accusedrsquos image had already circulated widely on social media the reliability of identification is always questionable for defece in any caseKarnani stated ldquoThe prosecution will likely conduct a fresh incourt identification during the trial to strengthen their case which the defence will crossexamine thoroughlyrdquo DCP Gedam said ldquoWe are confident in our case and have multiple forms of evidence against the accused Itrsquos a watertight caserdquoThe charge sheet also mentions that mobile tower location data places the accused at the building on the day of the attack His employer has confirmed his presence there adding to the circumstantial evidence Police have also recovered the clothes allegedly worn by the accused at the time of the incident Meanwhile Shariful has filed a bail application through his lawyer Sangram Jadhav The matter is likely to be heard by the sessions court on April 17atOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params