MUMBAI, Jan 17: The intruder who stabbed Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his home in Mumbai still remains at large despite more than 30 teams on the lookout for him on Friday, while a Maharashtra Minister ruled out underworld link to the brutal attack.
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The attacker was not working for any criminal gang and probably was not even aware whose house he had entered in, said police, citing their investigation carried out so far.
Police picked up a carpenter in connection with the attack on Khan (54) at his apartment in the wee hours of Thursday as he resembled the intruder, and brought him to the Bandra police station for questioning on Friday morning, but released him later.
A senior police official clarified the man was not related to the attack on Khan and no one has been arrested so far.
“The person detained in the morning has been released. He was picked up as he looked like the intruder captured in the CCTV footage. But he had an alibi which was verified by the police.
Based on that, the detained person has been released. Our probe is still on. We are looking at all angles,” said the senior official.
“This seems to be a stray incident. The alleged intruder was not working for any gang as per prima facie investigation. He probably was not even aware whose house he had entered in,” he added.
He said more than 30 teams have been formed to track down and nab the attacker, who stabbed Khan in his 12th floor apartment during a robbery attempt.
The attacker’s face was captured in CCTV footage. The video showed the assailant, wearing a red scarf and carrying a backpack, scurrying down the stairs from the sixth floor of the ‘Satguru Sharan’ building, where Khan lives, at around 2.30 am.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Urban) Yogesh Kadam said robbery was the motive behind the incident and clarified no underworld gang was involved in the knife attack.
The filmstar is recovering well at Lilavati Hospital, where he was taken after the brutal attack by an intruder in the early hours of Thursday that left him with multiple wounds, and is expected to be discharged in two to three days, doctors treating him said.
The actor, who suffered multiple stab injuries, including in his neck, underwent an emergency surgery at Lilavati Hospital, where he was rushed in an autorickshaw.
“We are observing his progress and he is doing excellently well according to our expectations. As per his progress, we have advised him bed rest and if he is comfortable, then in two to three days we will discharge him,” said Dr Nitin Dange, neurosurgeon at Lilavati Hospital.
He said a team of doctors checked on him and made him walk.
“Khan had four main wounds, which were a little deep, two in the hand, one on the neck and the most deep and dangerous was in the spine,” said the neurosurgeon, who led the team of doctors who operated on the actor.
During surgery, the doctors removed a 2.5-inch knife fragment lodged in his spine. They noted that if the knife had gone just 2 mm deeper, it could have caused a severe injury.
“So, we operated and removed it. But from there, the spinal fluid was leaking. Due to that repair, we are keeping him under observation. Today he is doing excellent. Wounds are healing and he has no neurological deficit,” Dr Dange informed. (PTI)
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