India News

Facial recognition confirms identity of accused in Saif Ali Khan stabbing case

Published

1 year ago

January 31, 2025

Saif Ali Khan stabbing suspect identified through facial recognition technology

Mumbai Police have verified the identity of the accused in the stabbing of actor Saif Ali Khan using facial recognition technology. Mohammad Shariful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, was confirmed as the individual captured on CCTV footage at the crime scene, officials said.

Islam allegedly broke into Khan’s apartment on the 12th floor of a Bandra high-rise in the early hours of January 16 with the intent to commit robbery. When confronted by the 54-year-old actor, Islam allegedly stabbed him six times before fleeing the scene.

Khan was immediately taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. One of the wounds came dangerously close to his spinal cord, leading to a spinal fluid leak. After five days of hospitalization, he was discharged and advised strict bed rest.

Arrest and political connections

Islam was apprehended on January 19 in Thane, a neighboring city of Mumbai. His father, Mohammed Ruhul Amin, in a conversation with media, claimed that his son had fled Bangladesh due to political persecution. Amin alleged that Islam was affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and was targeted under the long rule of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina.

Despite acknowledging his son’s political past, Amin denied his involvement in the crime, asserting that the person captured on CCTV was not Islam. He claimed Islam had a distinct facial structure and hairstyle different from the suspect in the footage. Furthermore, he questioned the credibility of the CCTV visuals used to identify him.

Legal developments and forensic contradictions

A Mumbai court recently rejected the police’s request for an extension of Islam’s custody, citing a lack of new evidence. The Bandra magistrate’s court ruled that while police can seek custody again if new developments emerge, Islam would remain in judicial remand for now.

Under India’s revised criminal code, authorities can seek police custody for up to 15 days within a 40- or 60-day period, depending on the gravity of the offense.

Despite the strong facial recognition match, forensic investigations have thrown up contradictions. Fingerprint analysis conducted by the CID failed to match Islam’s prints with those collected from the crime scene. This unexpected result raised concerns, but authorities proceeded with further forensic tests on items recovered from the crime scene, including the suspect’s clothing, a knife, a towel, and a bag.

Illegal entry and alleged motive

Investigators suspect that Islam entered India illegally from Bangladesh, changing his name to Bijoy Das upon arrival. He reportedly spent time in Kolkata before relocating to Mumbai.

Police are now tracking individuals who may have aided Islam’s illegal entry and stay in India. According to his statement, Islam was promised fake Indian identity documents in exchange for money, which allegedly motivated him to commit the robbery at Khan’s residence.

Wrongful detention controversy

The case also saw a wrongful arrest when Akash Kanojia, a 31-year-old man, was mistakenly taken into custody following a tip-off. Kanojia, who was arrested while traveling on a train in Chhattisgarh, later claimed that the incident devastated his life.

Speaking to media, Kanojia said he lost his job as a driver and even had a marriage proposal withdrawn due to the stigma of being a suspect in the high-profile case. His father, Kailash Kanojia, condemned the police’s actions, stating that his son had suffered immense mental trauma.

Mumbai Police defended the mistaken detention, stating that preliminary questioning and detentions are routine during complex investigations.

Ongoing investigation

Despite the fingerprint mismatch, authorities remain confident in the facial recognition findings and other forensic evidence. The investigation continues as police work to determine how Islam entered India and whether he received assistance in forging documents.

With multiple twists in the case, including forensic inconsistencies and a wrongful arrest, the probe into the Saif Ali Khan stabbing incident remains far from over.

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Delhi-NCR sees second spell of rain and thunderstorms in four days

Delhi-NCR experienced another spell of rain and thunderstorms on March 18, with IMD forecasting more showers over the next few days.

Published

4 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region witnessed another spell of rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds on Wednesday evening, marking the second such weather event in the past four days.

The sudden change brought relief from unusually high temperatures recorded earlier this month. According to officials, the temperature at Safdarjung — the city’s base weather station — was recorded at 24 degrees Celsius at 7 pm.

The India Meteorological Department had earlier issued an alert predicting light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning on March 18. Several areas across the capital experienced gusty winds along with brief but intense showers.

More rain likely over next two days

The weather department has forecast partly cloudy skies for March 19 and 20, with chances of light rain or thundershowers occurring once or twice during the day. On March 21, skies are expected to remain cloudy with the possibility of light showers continuing.

Conditions are likely to stabilise from March 23 onwards, with forecasts indicating a return to partly cloudy to clear skies across the region.

Weather activity across India to intensify

The IMD has also indicated widespread weather activity across multiple regions of the country in the coming days. Rainfall is expected to intensify in several states, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds.

In the northeastern region, heavy rainfall is likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Meghalaya during the early part of the week.

Meanwhile, the western Himalayan region is also set to witness a shift in weather patterns. Himachal Pradesh is likely to receive heavy rainfall on March 19 and 20, while Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir may experience heavy showers around March 20.

India News

Centre pushes states to cut levies to boost PNG adoption

The Centre has asked states to reduce local levies and streamline approvals to accelerate PNG adoption and city gas infrastructure growth.

Published

6 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has urged states and Union Territories to ease local levies and procedural barriers affecting City Gas Distribution (CGD) projects, in a bid to accelerate the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) as a cleaner fuel alternative.

In a communication sent to Chief Secretaries, Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Neeraj Mittal highlighted that high right-of-way charges, road cutting fees, lease rentals and other local levies imposed by urban bodies are discouraging investments in CGD infrastructure.

High costs slowing expansion

The ministry pointed out that the CGD sector, particularly PNG supply to households and commercial establishments, does not receive direct subsidies. As a result, it depends heavily on viable returns, which are being impacted by excessive and inconsistent local charges across states.

It noted that these financial and procedural hurdles are slowing down infrastructure expansion and affecting the broader adoption of natural gas.

Gap between connections and usage

According to the government, while around 12.63 crore PNG connections have been recorded, only about 1.6 crore are currently active. The ministry stressed that improving ease of doing business at state and local levels could help bridge this gap and expand the consumer base.

Officials believe that rationalising levies may initially reduce local revenues but could lead to higher long-term gains through increased gas consumption and economic activity.

LPG shortage adds urgency

The push for PNG adoption comes amid supply constraints in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Oil marketing companies are currently supplying only 20 per cent of normal commercial LPG demand to states.

To address this, the ministry has proposed increasing LPG allocation to 30 per cent for states that implement reforms supporting PNG and CGD expansion.

Reform-linked incentives for states

The Centre has suggested a set of measures that states can adopt to qualify for higher LPG allocations. These include:

Setting up empowered state and district-level committees for faster approvals
Introducing single-window clearance with deemed approvals within 24 hours
Implementing a dig-and-restore model using bank guarantees instead of restoration charges
Eliminating annual rental or lease charges for CGD infrastructure

The ministry said compliance with these reforms would be verified before granting additional LPG allocations.

Industry support measures

The communication also noted that GAIL and its subsidiaries have already allocated full gas supply to the commercial PNG segment to support businesses affected by reduced LPG availability.

The government reiterated that expanding natural gas usage aligns with its broader push for cleaner and domestically sourced energy.

India News

BJP seals Assam seat-sharing pact, Modi to hold 3 rallies in April

BJP has finalised its Assam seat-sharing plan with allies and is gearing up for an intense campaign led by PM Modi and Amit Shah.

Published

7 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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The Bharatiya Janata Party has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, firming up its strategy alongside National Democratic Alliance partners as campaigning gathers pace in the state.

Under the agreement, the BJP will contest 89 seats, while its allies — Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front — will field candidates in 26 and 11 constituencies respectively. The distribution has been decided after internal deliberations, with the focus now shifting to candidate announcements and campaign execution.

Campaign push led by top leadership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address three rallies in Assam during the final leg of the campaign. Tentative dates for the rallies are April 1, April 3 and April 6, with events likely to be held in key constituencies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also set to spearhead an extensive campaign across the state through March, aiming to energise party workers and strengthen voter outreach.

Candidate selection underway

The party’s Central Election Committee is currently meeting to finalise candidates. Sources indicate that approvals for most constituencies are expected soon, and the BJP may release its complete list of candidates within the next two days.

Ticket distribution remains a crucial exercise, with internal discussions highlighting its potential impact on local political dynamics. Party leaders have also touched upon the proposed delimitation exercise scheduled for 2027, which is expected to have long-term implications for Assam’s electoral landscape.