Saif Ali Khan attacked: Mumbai Police forms 20 teams to nab intruder who stabbed actor in his apartment

Saif Ali Khan attacked: 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 scurried down the stairs, remains on the run.

Saif Ali Khan attacked: Mumbai Police have formed 20 teams to track down and nab the intruder who stabbed Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan inside his apartment in Bandra and are tapping their network of informers to locate him, said officials.

Police are examining the CCTV footage of the building showing the intruder, who was armed with a wooden stick and a long Hexa blade, fleeing after the attack which took during a burglary attempt in the apartment housed in ‘Satguru Sharan’ building, they added.

Actor continues to be in  Lilavati Hospital 

The 54-year-old actor, who received six stab injuries, including in his neck, was out of danger following an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital where he was taken after the attack in the early hours of Thursday. He continues to be in the hospital.

CCTV footage, captured at 2:33 am, clearly showed the young suspect’s face. He is seen wearing a brown T-shirt with a collar and a red scarf while descending the stairs on the sixth floor of the building. The actor lives on the 12th floor.

Besides Khan, a 56-year-old staff nurse at the house, Eliyama Philip, who is the complainant, and a domestic help suffered blade injuries in the incident, said an official on Thursday. Based on details gathered from the footage and other clues, police have launched a search for the attacker. Investigators believe the intruder may have changed his clothes before fleeing the spot, an official said.

20 teams formed for probe 

Police have recorded statements of nurse Philip, house helps, the guard of the building and questioning some persons, he informed.

“Police have formed 20 teams and launched a search for the accused,” he said, adding they are trying to find out if he has a previous criminal record. Probe teams are also taking the help of informers and relying on technical support to nab the attacker, another official said.

Philip in her statement to the police said the intruder first entered the room of Saif and Kareena Kapoor-Khan’s younger son Jeh and demanded Rs 1 crore when confronted. She rushed to pick the child up and was pushed away by the man, armed with a wooden stick and a long Hexa blade. Another nanny was also sleeping in the same room.

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.

Bandra Police interrogation underway 

The Bandra police are questioning two individuals who were working on the terrace of actor Saif Ali Khan. Authorities suspect that the attacker who assaulted Khan was familiar with the building's layout and used the shafts and stairs to reach the 11th floor. The police are questioning these two individuals to determine whether the attacker had worked with them on the terrace flooring.

Sources claim that the suspect was last seen running on the sixth floor of the building, and was not captured on the lobby’s CCTV cameras while entering or exiting. The suspect used the stairs to descend and was captured on a resident's flat camera on the sixth floor. The police suspect that the attacker was aware of the CCTV camera on the sixth floor, which is why he avoided it while leaving. However, in his haste, he passed in front of the camera when entering, and when he realised the camera was there, he glanced toward it, causing his face to be clearly captured on the CCTV footage.

Saif Ali Khan on 100 per cent health recovery path

As police questioned guards and house helps and concern mounted, doctors said Saif Ali Khan was on a “100 per cent 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.

Kareena Kapoor urges media to give them privacy 

Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan has requested the media to give them space to heal as a family as they deal with the attack on her husband. In a statement on her Instagram account, Kareena said the family was still trying to process the challenging day.

She expressed gratitude to their well-wishers and fans for their love and concern and requested the media and paparazzi to refrain from their "relentless speculation" over the incident.

“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,” she wrote on the social media platform.

"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," Kareena added.