'Not criminals': Man claiming to be father of alleged Saif Ali Khan attacker speaks out

A man claiming to be the father of the Bangladeshi man arrested for allegedly stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan has said he was in contact with senior politicians of his country to raise the case as a diplomatic issue.

Mohammad Ruhul Amin Fakir maintained that his son, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, has been falsely arrested, claiming that he was an easy target as he had entered India illegally.

"We may be poor, but we are not criminals. In Bangladesh, he used to ride a bike taxi for a living. But during the era of the Awami League, there was a lot of political turmoil in our village and after Sheikh Hasina's government came back to power early last year. Since my son was an active supporter of Khaleda Zia, he faced immense backlash and so he decided to leave Bangladesh for better earning and living prospects," Ruhul Fakir told The Times of India.

Father of Saif Ali Khan 'attacker' says son not one shown in CCTV camera footage

In another interview, Mohammad Ruhul Amin Fakir reiterated that the suspect seen in the CCTV camera footage does not match the appearance of his son Shariful Fakir.

"From what is shown in the CCTV... my son never keeps his hair long. I believe my son is being framed," the accused's father told news agency IANS.

The father said his son was simply trying to make a living in a foreign country, and had moved to Mumbai after his initial days in West Bengal due to higher salaries in the hotels of the city. Despite the gravity of the accusations against his son, Fakir insisted that he hasn't received any communication from the police.

Shariful Fakir was arrested by Mumbai Police on January 19 from Thane in connection with attack on Saif Ali Khan, who was stabbed at his Bandra home during an attempted robbery in the wee hours of January 16.