Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan is recovering in hospital from the early morning stabbing at his home in the Mumbai suburb of Bandra, but the mystery around the attack is still wide open and the attacker at large.
A manhunt is on for the man who somehow gained entry into Saif's apartment, stabbed him six times and fled early on Thursday morning.
According to an NDTV report citing police sources quoting the Bollywood star’s house staff, the attacker got into Saif’s son Jeh’s room and demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore.
Police are examining the CCTV footage showing the man who allegedly attacked Saif escaping through the staircase, officials said.
The footage, captured at 2.33am on Thursday, clearly shows the young suspect's face. He is seen wearing a brown, collared t-shirt and red scarf or `gamcha' while descending the stairs on the sixth floor of the building.
Saif and his family live across the top four floors of Satguru Sharan building in the western suburb of Bandra.
A screen grab of the intruder's face as he glanced at the CCTV camera has gone viral on the internet. Police are examining the footage of the entire building premises, an official said.
Several teams have been formed to nab the suspect, he added. Apart from the local police, the crime branch is conducting a probe as well.
The attack happened around 2.30am on Thursday after the intruder was spotted by his house help. The attack left the actor grievously injured with a piece of knife lodged in his spine, which was removed surgically at Lilavati Hospital.
Saif’s son Ibrahim took him to the hospital, which is also in Bandra, in an auto-rickshaw after his car was delayed.
An FIR was registered at Bandra police station on the domestic help's complaint under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 311 (robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 312 (armed robbery), 331 (4) (house break-in or trespass at night) and other relevant provisions, officials said.
The actor's representatives, in a media statement, said it was a "burglary attempt."
As per the preliminary probe, the intruder did not force entry or break into the actor's apartment, but possibly sneaked in at some point earlier in the night, a police official told PTI.
Khan's house-help, who raised the initial alarm, also suffered a minor knife injury during the incident, police said.
The 54-year-old actor, known for films like films like Omkara, Dil Chahta Hai and Kal Ho Naa Ho
is on “100 per cent recovery path,” doctors said.