Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was recovering following surgery at a hospital in Mumbai after being stabbed in the early hours of Thursday by a suspected burglar who broke into his home.
The incident reportedly took place around 2.30am while the actor, 54, was sleeping. His wife, Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, 44, and sons Taimur, 7, and Jeh, 3, were also present in the house at the time of the incident but they were unhurt, according to media reports.
Indian news reports said police went through CCTV footage outside Khan’s home, but no one was seen in the two lifts, the lobby or entering the building within two hours of the attack. A senior police officer told the Indian Express newspaper that they suspect the accused may have used the building shaft to enter the 12th floor apartment.
“An unknown person entered Actor Saif Ali Khan’s residence and argued with his maid late last night. When the actor tried to intervene and pacify the man, he attacked Saif Ali Khan and injured him. Police are investigating the matter,” a statement from Mumbai Police said.
A police officer said Eliyama Phillipes alias Lima, a domestic worker, screamed to alert the other family members around 2am, according to The Indian Express newspaper. She was attacked first by the intruder and sustained injuries on her right wrist. She was reportedly taken to the police station and questioned.
“We suspect the help must have allowed him entry and due to some reason a fight took place. She is being interrogated by the local police to get more details about the accused. Seven local police teams are working to track him down,” a police officer said.
The intruder was reportedly locked by the family in one of the rooms but he managed to escape.
In this picture taken on 1 April 2023, Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan (L) and Kareena Kapoor poses for pictures during the inauguration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) at the Jio World Centre (JWC) in Mumbai (AFP via Getty Images)
#WATCH | Actor Saif Ali Khan injured during a scuffle with an intruder at home, police investigating the incident
Visuals from outside ‘Satguru Sharan’ building which houses the actor’s apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra pic.twitter.com/O1HcjvUoOU
— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2025
Khan was rushed to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital where he reportedly underwent surgery, with injuries close to his spine and neck, and is now stable and recovering.
Local media reported that Khan’s son, Ibrahim, took him to the hospital via public transport because he was unable to find a car at the time.
His team released an official statement once the surgery was complete, stating: “Saif Ali Khan has come out of surgery and is out of danger. He is currently in recovery and the doctors are monitoring his progress. All family members are safe and the police are investigating the incident.
“We would like to thank Dr Niraj Uttamani, Dr Nitin Dange, Dr Leena Jain and the team at Lilavati hospital. Thank you to all his fans and well-wishers for their prayers and thoughts during this time.”
Lilavati hospital confirmed that Khan had sustained six wounds: two cuts which were primarily on his back, with one near the spine, were deep, in addition to another minor wound on his neck and other superficial injuries, reported The Indian Express.
“Saif Ali Khan was admitted to the hospital at 2am with an alleged history of assault by some unknown person. He sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a lodged knife in the spine,” Dr Dange said, reported NDTV.
“A surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair leaking spinal fluid. Two other deep wounds on his left hand and one other on his neck were repaired by the plastic surgery team. He is completely stable now. He is recovering well and out of danger now.”
Police had initially said they had formedmultiple teams to find the intruder and registered a First Information Report – the first step in any police procedure on the commission of a cognizable offence – at the Bandra Police Station.
Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan at the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Getty Images for The Red Sea Int)
Actor Pooja Bhatt posted on X, formerly Twitter, to question “lawlessness”.
“Can this lawlessness please be curbed Mumbai Police? We need more Police presence in Bandra. The city & especially the queen of the subburbs, have never felt so unsafe before.”
Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson of NCP (SP) said: “Attack on Saif Ali Khan is a cause for concern because if such high profile people with levels of security can be attacked in their homes, then what could happen to common citizens? Fear of law seems to be at a low in Maharashtra due to lenience in the past couple of years.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “What a shame that Mumbai sees another high profile attempt on life, the attack on Saif Ali Khan yet again raises questions on Mumbai Police & the Home Minister. This is after a series of incidents that show there is a deliberate attempt to undermine Mumbai by targeting big names… All in Bandra. An area which has the highest concentration of celebrities, which is supposed to have adequate security. If celebrities are not safe then who in Mumbai is? Wishing Saif Ali Khan a speedy recovery.”
Son of cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actor Sharmila Tagore, Khan belongs to the family of erstwhile nawabs of the former princely state of Pataudi. He debuted in 1993 with Hindi-language action drama Parampara, and has gone on to star in over 60 films, including Omkara (2006), a Hindi-language adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello.
He has received several awards, including the prestigious National Film Award for his performance in Hum Tum (2004), and the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award in 2010.