Saif Ali Khan attack: Accused stabbed in back to free himself from actor's tight hold, say cops

Saif Ali Khan reaches his residence in Bandra (West), Mumbai, on Tuesday after being discharged from Lilavati Hospital. Pic/Satej Shinde

The 30-year-old Bangladeshi national arrested in the Saif Ali Khan attack case has informed police that he stabbed the actor multiple times in the back to free himself from the Bollywood star's tight grip, news agency PTI reported.

Following the attack, the intruder fled Khan's flat in the upscale Bandra area of Mumbai and hid in the building's garden for approximately two hours, the officer added.

The accused, identified as Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, also known as Vijay Das, was apprehended on January 19 in neighbouring Thane city. He is charged with stabbing the 54-year-old Bollywood star during the early hours of January 16.

Khan sustained multiple stab wounds and underwent emergency surgery at Lilavati Hospital. Doctors successfully removed a sharp object lodged in the actor's spine.

"The accused entered the actor's flat in the Satguru Sharan building through a bathroom window with the intent to commit theft. Once inside, he was confronted by the actor's staff, which led to an argument. Saif Ali Khan soon arrived at the scene and, sensing danger, tightly held the accused from the front," the police official explained.

"As the accused was unable to move, he began stabbing the actor in the back to free himself from Khan's grip. Once Khan was injured, the accused managed to escape," the official stated.

Assuming the intruder was still inside, Khan locked the main door of his flat, PTI reported. However, the accused fled using the same route through which he had entered, the officer confirmed.

The attacker later hid in the garden of the building for around two hours before leaving the premises.

The police previously reported that the fingerprints of the accused in the Saif Ali Khan attack case were found at various locations within the crime scene, including the bathroom window he used to enter and exit, the duct shaft, and the ladder he climbed to gain access to the flat.

Fakir, a native of the Jhalokathi district in Bangladesh, had been living in Mumbai for over five months, working in various odd jobs and as part of a housekeeping agency, according to the police.

A Mumbai court remanded the accused in five days' police custody on January 19.

Khan was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, five days after the attack.

(With PTI inputs)