Saif stabbed six times by intruder demanding Rs 1 cr; 2.5-inch knife piece removed from spine

Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan was repeatedly stabbed with a knife by an intruder inside his 12th floor apartment in upscale Bandra early Thursday in a shocking attack that raises intriguing questions about security, motive, and celebrity life.

Khan, 54, was “out of danger” following an emergency surgery, said the doctors at the Lilavati Hospital where he was rushed following the incident that took place around 2.30 am at his apartment in Satguru Sharan building.

Multiple wounds

Saif sustained six injuries: two were minor, two intermediate and two deep injuries. One of the injuries was close to the spine, and surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair the leaking spinal fluid, said Lilavati Hospital

A 2.5-inch piece of knife was removed from his spine, the doctors said, adding he was on “100 per cent recovery path”.

The attacker fled using the building’s staircase, a senior police official said, adding that his CCTV visuals were traced on the sixth floor, and 10 teams had been formed to nab him. Khan’s domestic help Eliyama Philip, who looked after the actor’s son Jeh, raised the alarm first. She also sustained a minor injury to her hand during the scuffle. She later lodged a police complaint, alleging the intruder asked for Rs 1 crore.

Recounting the horror, she 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 Home portfolio, had failed to maintain law and order. Fadnavis, however, said the attack was a serious incident, but it would be wrong to call Mumbai unsafe because of it, and the police were taking action in the matter. As per the preliminary probe, the intruder did not force his entry or break into the actor’s flat, but possibly sneaked during the night.

Khan’s domestic staff took him to Lilavati Hospital in an autorickshaw after the incident. He was operated upon by a team of doctors led by neurosurgeon Dr Nitin Dange.

“Saif sustained a major injury to his thoracic spine due to a knife.....Surgery was performed to remove the knife and also to repair the leaking spinal fluid,” said Dr Dange. The actor’s representatives described the incident as an “attempted burglary”.

An FIR was registered at Bandra police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 311 (robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 331 (4) (house break-in or trespass at night) and other relevant provisions. Saif’s wife Kareena Kapoor Khan and other members of the family were present in the house when the incident took place.