Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 1 (ANI): The hearing on the bail plea of Shariful Islam, one of the individuals arrested in connection with the stabbing attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, took place on Tuesday, April 1.

However, the proceedings were delayed as the police did not file their reply in court.

The next hearing is now scheduled for April 4, when the court has directed the police to submit their reply regarding the bail application.

In his plea, Shariful Islam, also known as Shehzad, has maintained his innocence, claiming that the case against him is fabricated.

The application, submitted through his lawyer, Ajay Gawali, argues that the First Information Report (FIR) was improperly registered.

Shehzad also asserted that he has fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation and that all necessary evidence is already in the possession of the police, making any tampering with it impossible.

The case, which is currently being heard in the Bandra Magistrate Court, is expected to be transferred to the Sessions Court once the police file the chargesheet.

As of now, the chargesheet has not been submitted by the Bandra Police.

The attack on Saif Ali Khan occurred on January 16 when Shehzad, allegedly attempting a robbery, broke into the actor's Bandra residence.

During the incident, Khan was severely injured, suffering damage to his thoracic spine and other body parts.

The actor was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was treated for five days before being discharged on January 21.

The Mumbai Police have stated that they possess significant evidence linking Shehzad to the attack.

Investigators revealed that he had entered India from Bangladesh and had stayed in multiple locations in Kolkata before eventually making his way to Mumbai.

In a statement earlier this year, Additional Commissioner of Police Paramjit Singh Dahiya refuted rumours about mismatched fingerprints.

'Whenever an accusation is made, multiple pieces of evidence are collected against it. We have found much oral, physical, and technical evidence against the accused... We have caught the right person,' Dahiya said. (ANI)