Police in the Indian city of Mumbai arrested a man in connection with the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, according to media reports
Khan was stabbed during a fight at his residence with an unidentified man on Thursday morning. The actor is recovering after the operation.
Police have seized CCTV footage from the actor’s residence in posh Bandra and initial reports suggest the attack may have been a robbery.
It is not clear whether the detained man was an intruder.
The BBC has accessed a statement given to police by a nurse who works at Khan’s home, which details the events that unfolded on the night of the incident.
Eliyama Philip, who looks after Khan’s son, said she first noticed the man’s shadow by the bathroom door late at night while she was in the nursery with the babysitter.
Ms Philip said a man appeared holding a wooden object in one hand and a long blade in the other and warned them not to make any noise. He was asking for 10 million rupees ($115,477; £94,511), she said.
Soon there was a fight in which Mrs. Filip was injured. Meanwhile, the nanny ran out of the room.
According to the nurse’s statement, Khan and his wife, actress Kareena Kapoor, rushed into the room after hearing the commotion. She said the attacker stabbed Khan when confronted and then ran from the house.
Khan suffered several injuries in the attack – including one to the back of his head.
Dr. Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital, where Khan is being treated, said that when he arrived, the actor was bleeding from the spine with a piece of knife embedded in it. The fragment was surgically removed and the fluid leak was controlled. Doctors said that timely treatment prevented severe damage to the spine.
Dr Dange said on Friday that Khan was “better now”.
“We got him to walk, and he walked fine. Looking at his parameters, his wounds and all the other injuries, I’m sure he can be moved out of the ICU. He has to take a few precautions. He has to rest and his movement is restricted for a week “, he said.
Mumbai Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gadam said the weapon used in the attack was not found and they registered a complaint based on the statement of the nurse.
“The defendant used a fire escape to get in,” he said. “Investigations are continuing to determine how the door to the home was opened or how the intruder gained access.”
Khan, 54, is also a producer, having appeared in several films and TV shows over the years. He is known for his wit and comic timing.
His portrayal of the antagonist in the acclaimed 2006 Omkara was widely praised. He has received several awards, including the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honor in India, in 2010.
Khan is the son of former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore.
