- Saturday, January 18, 2025
The actor told police the intruder got very aggressive during the scuffle with Saif, stabbing him multiple times, but did not touch the jewellery kept in the open
By: India Weekly
SAIF ALI KHAN’S wife and actress Kareena Kapoor Khan has informed the police that the intruder who entered their house in Mumbai got aggressive during the scuffle but did not touch jewellery kept in the open, an official said on Saturday (18).
The police recorded the actress’ statement following the attack at the Bollywood star couple’s apartment in Bandra early Thursday (16), the official said.
An intruder attacked Khan (54) after entering his 12th-floor apartment in the Satguru Sharan building. The actor sustained multiple stab wounds, including on his neck, and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.
The official said Kareena, in her statement, said the intruder got very aggressive during the scuffle with Saif, stabbing him multiple times.
He, however, did not touch the jewellery kept in the open.
He said the police are yet to record Khan’s statement.
After the incident, Kareena’s sister, actress Karishma Kapoor, took her to her residence in Khar, the official said.
No arrests so far
The police have formed more than 30 teams to trace the attacker, who remains at large more than 48 hours after the incident.
The attacker was not working for any criminal gang and probably was not even aware whose house he had entered, police said on Friday (17), citing their investigation carried out so far.
Police picked up a carpenter in connection with the attack on Khan, as he resembled the intruder captured on CCTV footage.
They brought him to the Bandra police station for questioning on Friday morning but released him later.
A senior police official clarified that the man was not related to the attack on Khan, and no one has been arrested so far.
“The person detained has been released. He was picked up as he looked like the intruder captured in the CCTV footage. But he had an alibi, which was verified by the police.
Based on that, the detained person has been released. Our probe is still on. We are looking at all angles,” said the senior official.
“This seems to be a stray incident. The alleged intruder was not working for any gang, as per the prima facie investigation. He probably was not even aware whose house he had entered in,” he added.
The attacker’s face was captured in CCTV footage. The video showed the assailant, wearing a red scarf and carrying a backpack, scurrying down the stairs from the sixth floor of the ‘Satguru Sharan’ building, where Khan lives, at around 2.30 am.
Meanwhile, Crime Branch officials of Mumbai Police collected CCTV footage from a mobile shop in Dadar visited by the alleged suspect to purchase earphones after stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan at his apartment.
The suspect had visited the shop, “Iqra”.
“He (the suspect) visited my shop and purchased an earphone for Rs 50. He gave me Rs 100, I returned him Rs 50 and he left the shop. Some police officials came to the shop yesterday (Friday) and took away the CCTV footage. They enquired about the person (suspect). I wasn’t aware of what he had done,” Hasan, who works at the shop, told PTI Videos.
“My boy who works here told me that he gave earphones to him (alleged suspect). Later some police officials came and took the CCTV footage yesterday,” said shop owner Shakir.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Urban) Yogesh Kadam said robbery was the motive behind the incident and clarified no underworld gang was involved in the knife attack.
Saif recovering
The actor is recovering well at Lilavati Hospital, where he was taken after the brutal attack, and is expected to be discharged in two to three days, doctors treating him said.
Saif underwent emergency surgery at Lilavati Hospital.
“We have advised him bed rest, and if he is comfortable, then in two to three days, we will discharge him,” said Dr Nitin Dange, a neurosurgeon at Lilavati Hospital.
He said a team of doctors checked on him and made him walk.
“Khan had four main wounds, which were a little deep, two in the hand, one on the neck and the most deep and dangerous was in the spine,” said the neurosurgeon, who led the team of doctors who operated on the actor.
During surgery, the doctors removed a 2.5-inch knife fragment lodged in his spine. They noted that if the knife had gone just 2 mm deeper, it could have caused a severe injury.
“So, we operated and removed it. But from there, the spinal fluid was leaking. Due to that repair, we are keeping him under observation. Today, he is doing excellent. Wounds are healing, and he has no neurological deficit,” Dr Dange informed.
“He is very lucky. We repaired the leaking spinal fluid and the dura which was there. We had to do a repair, which was successful. Today, when we made him walk, he was completely okay to walk. He is on a regular diet,” he maintained. (Agencies)
