Actor Saif Ali Khan, who underwent surgeries on Thursday after an attacker stabbed him at his Mumbai home, is out of danger and recovering well, doctors at the Lilavati Hospital said. The police have formed 20 teams to arrest the accused.
Early on Thursday morning, an intruder stabbed Saif Ali Khan six times at his home in the Bandra neighborhood of Mumbai, seriously injuring him. The incident happened when the accused reportedly broke into Mr. Khan’s home, which was located on the eleventh story of the Satguru Sharan building.
The attacker’s knife fragments got stuck in Mr. Khan’s spine, causing his spinal fluid to flow out. Doctors at Lilavati Hospital, where the actor is receiving treatment, claim that they have mended the actor’s spinal injuries and done plastic surgery on his hand and neck.
According to officials, the intruder broke into Mr. Khan’s home for about half an hour. He was initially seen in the room of Jeh, the youngest son of Mr. Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan.
The first person to see the intruder was Eliyama Philip, Jeh’s nanny, who was in the same room. “At first, I thought Kareena Kapoor was checking up on her son because the bathroom door was open and the light was on. After returning to my slumber, I quickly realized that something was off. The nanny recounted, “I got up again to check when I observed a man enter Jeh and Taimur’s room after leaving the restroom. The attacker demanded Rs 1 crore after she confronted him at this moment.
The 56-year-old nanny injured her hands and wrists while attempting to fend off the intruder. To wake Mr. Khan, the second nanny in the same room hurried to his room. Mr. Khan was attacked several times when he attempted to confront the invader. The assailant fled the residence right away and was subsequently seen close to the Bandra train station. According to investigators, he most likely boarded the morning’s first local train.
The preliminary investigation indicates that the assailant, who is presently evading capture, may have infiltrated Mr. Khan’s residence earlier in the evening. Authorities believe the defendant knew the building’s layout and used the shaft and stairs to get to the eleventh story.
Robbery, trespassing, and “grievous hurt caused while committing lurking house-trespass” are the sections under which the police have filed a complaint. According to officials, two individuals who were installing flooring on the actor’s home’s terrace are being questioned by police, and 20 squads have been assembled to apprehend the suspect. A 2.5-inch piece of a knife that was removed from Mr. Khan’s spine has also been found by the police.
According to police, the suspect was not caught on CCTV entering or leaving the lobby and was last seen fleeing on the sixth level of the building. The suspect was not observed after the sixth floor, nor was he apprehended leaving through the main door.
Hours after the incident, Kareena Kapoor Khan, in a post on Instagram, said that the constant scrutiny during an “incredibly challenging day” is overwhelming. “As we navigate this difficult time, I respectfully and humbly request that the media and paparazzi refrain from the relentless speculation and coverage. While we appreciate the concern and support, the constant scrutiny and attention are not only overwhelming but also pose a significant risk to our safety. I kindly request that you respect our boundaries and give us the space we need to heal and cope as a family,” she said.
The BJP-led state administration is facing criticism from the opposition and the film industry as a result of the incident, which has sparked a political dispute. “If celebrities are not safe, who in Mumbai is?” asked Priyanka Chaturvedi, the leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction). Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, and Arvind Kejriwal, the leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), also took aim at the BJP on the matter. Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra, stated that while the incident was “unfortunate,” it would not be accurate to claim that Mumbai is unsafe.
