2 staffers of Saif's house identify arrested Bangladeshi man as attacker
Mumbai (PTI): Two staffers at Saif Ali Khan's residence have identified Bangladeshi man Shariful Fakir as the one who attacked the actor after entering his house here last month, a police official said on Thursday.
Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir (30) alias Vijay Das was arrested last month for allegedly stabbing the actor, and is currently in judicial custody.
The Mumbai police on Wednesday conducted an Identification Parade (IP) at the Arthur Road jail here in connection with the case of the attack on Khan, he said.
Eliyamma Phillip (56), a staffer at Khan's residence, and househelp Junu identified Shariful as the person who attacked the actor, the official said.
The identification parade was held in the presence of a tehsildar and five panchas, he said.
Phillip is the primary witness in the case as she too was allegedly attacked by the accused, as per the police.
The city police last month said a facial recognition test confirmed that the face of the Bangladeshi man arrested for allegedly stabbing Khan matched with the person seen in the CCTV footage from the Satguru Sharan building in Bandra area where the actor lives.
Shariful allegedly broke into the Bollywood star's 12th-floor apartment in the early hours of January 16 and stabbed him six times before fleeing the scene, they said.
He was arrested from neighbouring Thane city three days later.
Following the knife attack, Khan, 54, was admitted to the nearby Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent two surgeries. He was discharged from the private hospital on January 21.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
