Police in Mumbai have apprehended a suspect in the alarming knife attack on Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan, which occurred at his residence last week.
The suspect, identified as Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, was arrested in Thane, a suburb of Mumbai. Authorities allege that Shehzad, reportedly a Bangladeshi national living in India illegally, had plans to rob the actor.
Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Police Dixit Gedam disclosed that Shehzad had been residing in Mumbai for six months, employed at a housekeeping agency under a fake identity.
A Mumbai court has since remanded him to five days in police custody.
The brutal attack on Khan, one of Bollywood’s most iconic figures, has captured national attention, sparking intense debate about security in India’s entertainment capital.
Reports indicate that Khan sustained six stab wounds, including a critical one near his neck, and had to undergo surgery.
His wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and their children were reportedly at home during the ordeal but escaped harm.
Eliyama Philip, a nurse working in Khan’s household, recounted that the assailant broke into the residence late at night.
Wielding a blade and a wooden object, the intruder demanded ₹10 million ($115,477), threatening violence if anyone raised an alarm.
In the ensuing struggle, Philip was injured, and Khan was stabbed before the attacker fled.
Shehzad’s lawyer, Sandeep Shikhane, has refuted the allegations, insisting that his client is being used as a “scapegoat” and denying claims of his Bangladeshi nationality.
“There is no documentary evidence to support the claim that he is from Bangladesh,” Shikhane stated.
Meanwhile, police initially detained five other individuals after CCTV footage captured the attacker leaving the scene, but they were later released.
The chilling incident has left fans and the film industry in shock, with questions lingering over the ease with which such a high-profile figure was targeted.