Saif Ali Khan stabbing case: Main accused arrested

Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The Mumbai Police have arrested a man named Vijay Das as the main accused in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case from Maharashtra’s Thane West area, officials said in the early hours of Sunday.

The arrest was made in a joint operation conducted by DCP Zone-6 Navnath Dhavale’s team and the Kasarvadavali police at a labour camp near the metro construction site, behind the TCS Call Center in Hiranandani Estate, Thane West.

Actor Saif Ali Khan suffered six stab wounds while struggling with the intruder who broke into his Bandra residence early on Thursday with the intent of robbery.

The attacker had fled the scene, following which the actor’s son Ibrahim Ali Khan rushed him to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries.

Saif Ali Khan, who was said to be out of danger, is under recovery at the hospital.

The prime accused, identified as Vijay Das, was previously employed at a pub in Mumbai. Now that he has been arrested, police will present before court later on Sunday for remand, the Mumbai crime branch said.

Mumbai Police has said that the accused multiple names including Vijay Das, Bijoy Das, and Mohammad Iliyas, media reported.

The attacker was caught in CCTV footage of the Satguru Sharan building, which houses actor Saif Ali Khan and his family.

DCP Zone-9 Dikshit Gedam revealed that the attacker used the staircase to get upstairs to Saif’s 12th-floor apartment.

Saif Ali Khan’s home staff Eliyamma Philips alias Lima was present in the house at the time of the incident and was the first one to spot the accused. In a bid to stop him, she engaged in a scuffle with him which resulted in the injuries on her hand.

Hearing Lima’s scream, Saif Ali Khan got alarmed and stepped out of his room. As he struggled with the accused, he struck the actor with a sharp knife around six times. Following this, the attacker fled the scene.

In her statement to the Mumbai Police, Lima had described the attacker as a slim, dark-complexioned man in his late thirties, around 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Almost six hours after this incident, the accused was caught on CCTV camera buying headphones at a store in Dadar in a blue shirt around 9 a.m. on Thursday. Earlier, he was also seen at Bandra railway station, where he is believed to have boarded a train.

Saif Ali Khan’s wife and actress Kareena Kapoor Khan had told the police that the accused got ‘very aggressive’ during his scuffle with Saif and stabbed the actor repeatedly. However, she said, he did not touch any of the jewellery kept in the open.

Saif Ali Khan was grievously injured in the scuffle with the attacker at his home. Doctors at Lilavati Hospital had revealed that the actor walked in with a knife lodged in his spine, adding that his spinal fluid was leaking.

Admitted with six injuries to the hospital, which included two deep wounds on his left hand and neck, Saif Ali Khan underwent multiple surgeries and was said to be “out of danger”. He was moved to the intensive care unit to be kept under observation.

On Friday, Niraj Uttamani, the chief operating officer of the Hospital, told reporters that Saif was shifted to a special room and was under recovery.

“He is completely cheerful. In fact, we are planning a discharge in the next two to three days,” he added.

Doctors praised Saif Ali Khan’s courage and said that they have kept the visitors in check to ensure that he gets enough rest.