Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed by an intruder who entered his apartment early Thursday morning. Khan is recovering in the hospital after undergoing surgery.
The incident occurred around 2:30 am at Khan’s residence in Bandra. The intruder, who is still at large, attacked Khan with a blade during an attempted robbery. Khan sustained six stab wounds, including one near his spine.
Khan’s family, including his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan and their two sons, were unharmed in the attack. The family’s nanny, who first encountered the intruder, was also injured.
Police are investigating the incident and searching for the suspect. They are also questioning the household staff to determine how the intruder gained entry into the apartment building.
The attack has raised concerns about security for celebrities in Mumbai. Many prominent figures have expressed their shock and well wishes for Khan’s speedy recovery.
According to initial reports, the attack outside his younger son Jeh’s room around 2.30 am. The entire family – Khan, his wife and fellow star Kareena Kapoor, and their two sons, four-year-old Jeh and eight-year-old Taimur – were home in the 12th floor apartment along with their five house helps.
In a statement to the police, Jeh’s nanny Eliyama Philip, who first encountered the armed attacker, said he asked for Rs 1 crore.
The intruder did not force his entry or break into the actor’s flat but possibly sneaked in at some point during the night with the intention of robbery, police officials said.
The attacker, who made his escape through the stairs, remains on the run.
Recounting the horrific events of the night, Philip said she was sleeping on the floor in Jeh’s room and woke up around 2 am when she heard a sound and saw a man move towards the sleeping child.
Panicked, she rushed to pick him up and was pushed away by the man, armed with a wooden stick and a long Hexa blade — a thin, fine toothed instrument used for cutting metal, wood or plastic.
Another nanny was also sleeping in the same room.
“I sat up to see who was in the bathroom. I saw a thin and short man come out and go towards Jeh’s bed,” Philip said in the statement that forms the basis of the police FIR on the incident.
The man, she said, pointed a finger at her and warned her, “Koi awaz nahin (don’t make any noise). In the scuffle, he attacked me with the blade. I got injured on my wrist. I asked him what he wants. He said he wants money and that he needs Rs 1 crore,” Philip, who has been working with the star couple for four years, said in her statement.
Hearing her scream, Khan and Kareena rushed out of their room.
The intruder, who Philip said was between 35-40 years old, then attacked Khan with a knife. During the commotion, another house help also rushed out to raise an alarm. The intruder then ran away.
CCTV footage showed the alleged assailant, wearing a red scarf and carrying a backpack, scurrying down the stairs from the sixth floor of the Satguru Sharan building.
Later in the evening, legendary actress Sharmila Tagore, mother of Saif Ali Khan, arrived at Lilavati Hospital to check on her son’s condition. She accompanied by her daughter Soha Ali Khan.
Saif’s children, Ibrahim Ali Khan and Sara Ali Khan, also visited the hospital to stay updated on his health.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, Ibrahim, Khan’s son from his previous marriage to Amrita Singh, was the one who took him to the hospital after the attack. Ibrahim, who does not live with his father, came to Saif Ali Khan’s home immedietly after learning about the attack.
Meanwhile, Saif’s other sister Saba Pataudi said she is shocked and reeling from the wild incident but proud of her brother.
“Taking care of the family and standing tall would make Abba so proud. I am. Get well soon. Missing being there. Will see you soon. Duas and prayers always,” Saba said in a post on Instagram Stories where she also shared a childhood photo with Saif.
Saif is son of actor Sharmila and late cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and is known for his performances in films like “Omkara”, “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior”, among others.
At least 10 police teams were formed to untangle the sensational crime targeting the ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ actor and his family, amongst the most high profile and most photographed in Mumbai. They registered a case of ‘armed robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt’.
As police questioned guards and house helps and concern mounted, doctors said he was on “100 percent recovery path.”
It was a narrow, miraculous escape. A 2. 5-inch piece of the blade was removed from his spine, doctors at the Lilavati Hospital said.
“He sustained six injuries, two are minor, two intermediate and two deep injuries. One of the injuries is on the back which is close to the spine,” the hospital’s chief operating officer Dr Niraj Uttamani told reporters.
Khan had been shifted to the ICU and could be moved out to a room in a day or two, he said.
“Saif sustained a major injury to his thoracic spine (middle section) due to a knife…Surgery was performed to remove the knife and also to repair the leaking spinal fluid,” explained Dr Nitin Dange, a neuro surgeon who led the team of doctors operating on Khan.
“There were two other deep wounds in his left hand and right side of the neck which were repaired by the plastic surgery team,” he added.
According to multiple media reports, Khan was attacked by the intruder when he rushed to protect his family.
Khan, who was awarded a Padma Shri in 2010, was taken to the hospital in an autorickshaw.
“There was an attempted burglary in Saif Ali Khan and (his wife and actor) Kareena Kapoor Khan’s residence last night. Saif had an injury on his arm for which he is in hospital. The rest of the family is doing fine,” a statement from actor Kareena Kapoor Khan’s team said.
“We request the media and fans to be patient and not speculate any further as the police is already doing their due investigations. Thank you all for your concern,” the statement said.
Saif Ali Khan’s public relations representative also in statement said there was an “attempted burglary” at his residence.