Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan stabbed multiple times after intruder climbs shaft to enter Mumbai home
His wife, Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, and sons Taimur, 7, and Jeh, 3, were also present in the house but were unhurt
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Your support makes all the difference.Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was recovering following surgery at a Mumbai hospital after being stabbed in the early hours of Thursday by a suspected burglar who gained entry inside his home.
The incident reportedly took place around 2.30am while the actor, 54, was sleeping. His wife, Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, 44, and sons Taimur, 7, and Jeh, 3, were also present in the house at the time of the incident but were unhurt, according to media reports.
Police reportedly went through the CCTV footage outside Khan’s home, but no one was seen in the two lifts, the lobby, or entering the building within two hours of the attack. A senior police officer told the Indian Express newspaper that they suspect the accused may have used the building shaft to enter the 12th floor apartment.
“An unknown person entered Actor Saif Ali Khan’s residence and argued with his maid late last night. When the actor tried to intervene and pacify the man, he attacked Saif Ali Khan and injured him. Police are investigating the matter,” a statement from Mumbai Police said.
A police officer said Eliyama Phillip alias Lima, a domestic worker, screamed to alert the other family members around 2am, according to The Indian Express newspaper. She was attacked first by the intruder and sustained injuries on her right wrist.
“We suspect the help must have allowed him entry and due to some reason a fight took place. She is being interrogated by the local police to get more details about the accused. Seven local police teams are working to track him down,” a police officer said.
The intruder was reportedly locked by the family in one of the rooms but he managed to escape.
Khan was rushed to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital where he underwent surgery, with injuries close to his spine and neck, and is now stable and recovering. According to News18, Lima also underwent treatment at the hospital.
Local media reported that Ibrahim, Khan’s son from his first marriage to actor Amrita Singh, took him to the hospital via public transport because he was unable to find a car at the time.
His team released an official statement once the surgery was complete, stating: “Saif Ali Khan has come out of surgery and is out of danger. He is currently in recovery and the doctors are monitoring his progress. All family members are safe and the police are investigating the incident.
“We would like to thank Dr Niraj Uttamani, Dr Nitin Dange, Dr Leena Jain and the team at Lilavati hospital. Thank you to all his fans and well-wishers for their prayers and thoughts during this time.”
Lilavati hospital confirmed that Khan had sustained six wounds: two cuts which were primarily on his back, with one near the spine, were deep, in addition to another minor wound on his neck and other superficial injuries, reported The Indian Express.
“Saif Ali Khan was admitted to the hospital at 2am with an alleged history of assault by some unknown person. He sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a lodged knife in the spine,” Dr Dange said, reported NDTV.
“A surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair leaking spinal fluid. Two other deep wounds on his left hand and one other on his neck were repaired by the plastic surgery team. He is completely stable now. He is recovering well and out of danger now.”
Police had initially said they had formedmultiple teams to find the intruder and registered a First Information Report – the first step in any police procedure on the commission of a cognizable offence – at the Bandra Police Station.
Actor Pooja Bhatt posted on X, formerly Twitter, to question “lawlessness”.
“Can this lawlessness please be curbed Mumbai Police? We need more Police presence in Bandra. The city & especially the queen of the subburbs, have never felt so unsafe before.”
Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson of NCP (SP) said: “Attack on Saif Ali Khan is a cause for concern because if such high profile people with levels of security can be attacked in their homes, then what could happen to common citizens? Fear of law seems to be at a low in Maharashtra due to lenience in the past couple of years.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “What a shame that Mumbai sees another high profile attempt on life, the attack on Saif Ali Khan yet again raises questions on Mumbai Police & the Home Minister. This is after a series of incidents that show there is a deliberate attempt to undermine Mumbai by targeting big names... All in Bandra. An area which has the highest concentration of celebrities, which is supposed to have adequate security. If celebrities are not safe then who in Mumbai is? Wishing Saif Ali Khan a speedy recovery.”
Son of cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actor Sharmila Tagore, Khan belongs to the family of erstwhile nawabs of the former princely state of Pataudi. He debuted in 1993 with Hindi-language action drama Parampara, and has gone on to star in over 60 films, including Omkara (2006), a Hindi-language adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello.
He has received several awards, including the prestigious National Film Award for his performance in Hum Tum (2004), and the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award in 2010.
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