Mumbai News Highlights: Suspect detained in Saif Ali Khan attack case released, police say attacker still at large

The Mumbai police Friday recorded actress Kareena Kapoor Khan's statement, wife of actor Saif Ali Khan. Recalling the gruesome attack on her husband, she said that during the scuffle the attacker got very aggressive and attacked her husband.

"Surprisingly jewelleries which were kept in open were intact," Kareena said. According to sources in Mumbai police, she is one of the persons who witnessed when her husband was brutally attacked by the accused.

Police have intensified security cover at Khan's Bandra building as well as Karishma Kapoor's house in Khar.

More than 40 hours after actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed in a brazen attack inside his Bandra (West) residence, the accused continued to elude Mumbai police. Police believe he could be a “hardened criminal” since he appears to have changed his clothes to mislead investigators after he left the scene of the crime.

Friday saw a massive manhunt to trace the accused, with at least two dozen teams from the local police, Crime Branch and crime intelligence unit working to make headway.

On Friday morning, the Bandra police detained a “suspect” and brought him in for questioning. But five hours later, he was let go as the police found that the man had no link with the case. Police sources said the man was picked up because he resembled the accused, who was caught on CCTV at Saif’s building, and had a history of petty crime.

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Speaking with the media, the auto driver Bhajan Singh, who helped Saif Ali Khan's family rush the seriously injured actor to the Lilavati hospital said, "Saif Ali Khan was soaked in blood and was barely able to walk... Saif Ali Khan, a staffer and his kid (Taimur) sat in my auto and asked me to take him to hospital."

The auto driver said that he was stopped by a staffer outside the actor's building in Bandra West.

"They were in such an emergency state that I did not ask for money...Such a big actor sat in my vehicle that was a satisfaction for me," Singh added.

Even as various Mumbai police teams are trying to track down the intruder who attacked actor Saif Ali Khan, the Crime Branch has been overseeing the probe under ‘encounter specialist’ Daya Nayak.

Khan sustained multiple stab wounds after being attacked at his Bandra (West) residence during an alleged robbery attempt early on Thursday. He is currently recovering in hospital. A statement from Khan’s team later in the day said the actor was “out of danger.” On Friday, the police detained a suspect in connection with the attack.

Daya Nayak, in-charge of the Crime Branch’s Unit IX, visited Saif Ali Khan’s residence on Thursday as part of the investigation. The officer is among a handful of “encounter specialists” who are known in the police force for having gunned down several gangsters linked to Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan in the 1990s. So far, he has been reportedly involved in 84 encounters.

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A new video surfaced on Friday showing the suspect in the actor Saif Ali Khan attack case going upstairs in his building in Mumbai's Bandra area with his face covered and carrying a bag.

According to a police official, the attacker has been captured in CCTV cameras cautiously climbing the stairs at 1.37 am before intruding into the actor's house. The man had his face covered and was carrying a bag.

In a CCTV footage that surfaced on Thursday, the assailant, wearing a red scarf and carrying a backpack, was scurrying down the stairs from the sixth floor of the 'Satguru Sharan building, where the actor lives, at around 2.30 am. His face was clearly visible in the first footage.

No arrest has been made in the case yet, an official said. (PTI)

A day after an intruder repeatedly stabbed actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra (West) residence, the Mumbai police nabbed a suspect on Friday morning. As the actor recovers in hospital — he is out of danger — and the investigation continues, The Indian Express tries to answer five key unanswered questions related to the case:

CCTV footage shows the intruder escaping, but how did he enter the building?

Based on preliminary investigation of the crime scene and review of the Satguru Sharan building where Khan stays with his family in a duplex (11th and 12th floor), the police suspect that the intruder first jumped through the back gate of the building to enter the premises. Once he entered the building, he avoided CCTV cameras and took the fire exit stairs till some point. He has been captured on CCTV climbing up the floors barefoot at around 1.38 am with his face covered.

He is then suspected to have used a two-foot-wide shaft to enter the bathroom of Khan’s younger child from where he gained entry into the house on the 11th floor. This is the initial theory shared by the officials involved in the investigation.

How did the intruder escape when he was overpowered by Saif Ali Khan and the caretakers and was locked inside the room?

After the intruder was caught, Khan and the others managed to overpower him in the child’s room, following which they all escaped from the room and closed it from the outside. Police officials said that as the family rushed to the 12th floor of the house for safety, the accused most likely used the toilet window and exited through the same narrow shaft that he used to enter the house. He then reached the fire exit stairs and was captured on a CCTV camera on the sixth floor of the building.

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Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Urban) Yogesh Kadam on Friday said the theft was the only motive behind the attack on actor Saif Ali Khan in his Mumbai apartment and ruled out any other angle. He said, "There was no intimation from Saif Ali Khan to police on any threat to him and he did not seek security cover." He further said there is no involvement of the underworld gang behind the attack.

The suspect, brought to the Bandra police station on Friday, is being questioned by the Mumbai police. The suspect was reportedly carrying a similar bag to the one seen in the CCTV footage.

Actor Kunal Khemu arrived at the Lilavati Hospital on Friday afternoon to visit his brother-in-law Saif Ali Khan, who got injured during a robbery attempt in his home. Khemu was one of the first to arrive at the hospital on Thursday after the attack.

While giving an important health update on Saif Ali Khan, Lilavati Hospital doctors said, "Today we will be restricting visitors as we want Saif Ali Khan to rest. He has to take rest due to knife-inflicted wounds, especially in the back which can have chances of infection."

Dr Nitin Dange from Lilavati Hospital gave an important update on Saif Ali Khan's health on Friday. Dr Dange said that the actor has been moved out of the ICU and his condition is stable.

He said that Saif is doing "extremely well" and is safe.

Dr Niraj Uttamani said that he was the doctor who met Saif Ali Khan within the first hour of his injury. "He had blood all over. But he walked in like a lion with his young child. He is a real hero. He is doing well currently. His parameters have improved. He is being shifted from the ICU to a special room. We will keep visitors in check. We want him to rest

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday prayed for the well-being of actor Saif Ali Khan and urged the government to ensure the safety of artistes.

In a post in Hindi on X, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, "Praying for the speedy recovery of the popular film star Saif Ali Khan. I request the government to ensure the safety of all artistes." On Wednesday night, a man armed with a knife entered Khan's residence on the 12th floor of the Satguru Sharan building in Mumbai's Bandra area and attacked the 54-year-old actor multiple times, leaving him injured.

At the latest edition of SCREEN Live held in Mumbai, Kartik Aaryan spoke about the attack on Saif Ali Khan at his residence earlier today.

“It is scary, it is sad. This puts everyone in a very vulnerable state. This incident has shocked everyone. I hope he is doing well,” said Kartik, adding, “I will pray for him and his family. I wish him a speedy recovery.”

Saif Ali Khan's sister Saba Pataudi, who is seemingly not in Mumbai at the moment, shared a heartfelt note expressing her shock over the incident and praying for a speedy recovery for the actor.

In an Instagram post with their childhood photos, Saif Ali Khan's sister Saba said, "I am in shock and reeling from this insane incident. But proud of you Bhaijaan. 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.”

Saif Ali Khan's family was not the only one seen visiting the Bollywood actor in the Lilavati Hospital after the attack. Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Sanjay Dutt, Malaika Arora, Karan Johar, Amrita Arora, and Arjun Kapoor were also spotted outside the hospital, checking up on Saif Ali Khan.

The doctors at Lilavati said that the actor is recovering from the stab wounds steadily. He is likely to be shifted out of the ICU after consulting the family today.

The suspect who was brought in by the Mumbai police for his allegedly role in Saif Ali Khan attack case was carrying a backpack similar to the one being carried by the attacker, seen on the CCTV footage from the actor's building.

The identity of the suspect has not yet been established. He has not been arrested yet, said the police in a statement.

The intruder who entered Saif Ali Khan’s 12th floor apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra was locked by the family in one of the rooms but he managed to flee, the police said on Thursday, hours after the actor was attacked at his home.

A senior police officer said that they suspect the accused may have used the building shaft to enter the flat as he was not spotted in the CCTV cameras in the two lifts or the lobby. The building has two entrances; while the main entrance has two security guards the second has one.

The security wall for the second entrance is not high and a net installed there has a tear, leading the police to suspect that this is how the accused entered the building. The police also suspect it may be the job of an insider who was aware that the net was torn. Read more.

The Lilavati Hospital is currently consulting Saif Ali Khan's family over shifting him from the ICU to the general ward of the hospital, now that he is out of danger and recovering, reported ANI.

Saif was attacked by an intruder in his 11th-floor Bandra flat at around 2:30 am on Thursday. The incident occurred when an intruder allegedly confronted the actor's maid at his residence. As Saif attempted to intervene and de-escalate the situation, it escalated into a violent altercation, resulting in the actor sustaining several stab wounds.

The suspect arrested by the Mumbai police was brought to the Bandra police station for questioning on Friday morning.

Bandra police have detained a suspect and have brought him to the police station in connection with the Thursday's attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence in Bandra (West). Senior officers from Mumbai police department have confirm that no arrest has been made in the case yet and they have detained a suspect and are further enquiring him.

More than 30 hours have passed but the Mumbai police have yet to arrest the man who repeatedly stabbed actor Saif Ali Khan in his plush apartment in the city's Bandra area, an official said on Friday.

The city police have formed 20 teams to track down and nab the intruder and are tapping their network of informers to locate him, officials have said.

The crime branch and the local police have gathered technical data, including how many mobile phones were active in the area when the actor was attacked during a “burglary attempt” in his apartment housed in ‘Satguru Sharan' building, the police official said.

Evidence has been collected from Khan's home and the building with the help of forensic teams and the dog squad and searches were conducted at many places in Mumbai to track down the attacker, he said. (PTI)

The attacker, who stabbed Saif Ali Khan six times during the scuffle inside the house, told his son Jeh's nanny that he wanted Rs 1 crore.

The nanny saw a man emerging from the bathroom at night inside Jeh's room. He told her to remain quiet and not make a sound. As she moved towards the child, the man said that he wanted Rs 1 crore from the family. Another caretaker sounded the alarm, after which a scuffle broke out in the room.

After actor Saif Ali Khan got attacked inside his home, Opposition leaders attacked the BJP-led Maharashtra government for the law and order situation in the state.

Attacking the newly formed government under CM Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said, "The law and order in the state has gone for a toss. Saif is a big actor who has been awarded Padma Shri. Yesterday, PM Modi was in the city hence all the security was there. Police would be involved in the PM’s security hence there is no law and order in the state. Recently Saif Ali Khan and his family had gone to meet the PM who spent an hour with them. No one is safe in the state. For the common man, there is no security. Ninety per cent of the police force is now with the politicians."

“The CM also handles the home portfolio. Such incidents should be taken seriously,” NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Thursday.

The attack on Saif Ali Khan took place inside his home in Bandra, outside his youngest child Jeh's room. 56-year-old Eliyamma Philip, the 3-year-old boy's nanny was the sole witness of the attack, and was also injured in the scuffle.

Narrating the ordeal, Eliyamma Philip said, "When I tried to see who was there, I saw a person coming out of the bathroom and moving towards Jeh Baba’s (Jehangir’s) bed,” she said. As she rushed towards the child to save him, the intruder threatened her and demanded Rs 1 crore. She shared that the man was carrying a weapon and engaged in a scuffle with her. When Saif heard the commotion and entered the room, the intruder attacked him, too. She said, “When Saif sir came, the accused attacked him with the hexa blade and then also attacked Geeta (Taimur’s nanny), who had also come and tried to intervene.”

Visuals from outside Saif Ali Khan's residence on Friday morning showed many security and police personnel deployed outside the Satguru Sharan building, where the actor's family lives.

Earlier, Mumbai Police said that at least 20 teams have been deployed over the case, and sniffer dogs were brought in during the investigation inside the apartment.

The CCTV cameras in Saif Ali Khan's building captured the face of the attacker who broke into his home and stabbed him six times. The Mumbai Police have deployed over a dozen teams to nab the accused.

The Lilavati Hospital said in a statement that Saif Ali Khan is steadily recovering after being treated for six stab wounds after a robbery attempt at his residence.

“Khan’s injuries, while severe, were expertly managed by our team. He is currently in the ICU and recovering steadily. We anticipate shifting him to the general ward within a day or two,” Dr. Niraj Uttamani, Chief Operating Officer of Lilavati Hospital, said.

The knife lodged in Saif Ali Khan's back after the attack on him on Thursday was just one millimetre away from his spine, a doctor from Lilavati Hospital told ANI. The doctors said that if the knife would have been even a millimetre deeper, it would have resulted in a saline fluid leakage and put the actor's life in immense risk.

A team of doctors, including a neurosurgeon and a cosmetic surgeon, operated on Saif Ali Khan on Thursday morning, removing a 2.5-inch blade from his back.

It has been an incredibly challenging day for our family, and we are still trying to process the events that have unfolded. 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.

I would like to thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation during this sensitive time.

-Kareena Kapoor Khan

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Thursday targeted the state government in the wake of the stabbing attack that left Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan injured and hospitalised in Mumbai, saying the incident has "exposed the loopholes" in the law and order situation under the BJP-led Mahayuti's rule.

"The deadly attack on Bollywood's famous actor and Padma Shri awardee Saif Ali Khan has exposed the loopholes in Maharashtra's law and order system. If such incidents are happening in the busiest and posh area of Bandra in Mumbai, then who is safe in Mumbai?" he asked.