Mumbai:

A third piece of a knife used to attack and injure Saif Ali Khan at his residence last week was recovered from a lake situated near the actor’s Bandra residence.

The police recovered the piece of knife from a trench near Bandra lake, which is around a kilometre away from the actor’s Satguru Sharan home. One piece of knife, measuring 2.5 inches, was recovered from the actor’s body during treatment at the Lilavati Hospital. Police took the accused Mohammad Shariful to the lake on Wednesday and remained at the spot for around one-and-a-half hours.

The police also questioned a salon owner from Worli Koliwada regarding Shariful visiting him to get a haircut after committing the crime, as per sources. The accused allegedly cut his hair and changed his appearance to remain under the radar. The 30-year-old Bangladeshi national illegally entered India last year and assumed the alias Vijay Das.

Mr Khan was attacked by Shariful on January 16 at his residence, while he was trying to protect his younger son Jeh during an attempted robbery. As per the child’s nanny’s statement to the police, the attacker had asked for an amount of Rs 1 crore. While an early assessment of CCTV footage could not find any trace of an intruder, the accused was traced through a stairwell CCTV camera. He had allegedly scaled the compound wall and snuck past security guards who were asleep.

Also Read | Paratha For Breakfast, UPI Payment: How Cops Caught Saif Ali Khan Attack Suspect

Mr Khan was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he underwent two surgeries, one to remove a piece of knife and another to stop the leakage of spinal fluid. He was discharged on Wednesday, before which he met auto-rickshaw driver Bhajan Singh Rana, who had rushed him to the hospital on the night of the attack.

Police have announced that multiple departments from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kalina will analyse key evidence related to the case, including mobile phones, the accused’s clothing, and CCTV footage. Various forensic departments will be involved in the examination, as investigators face challenges in interrogating Fakir due to language barriers On Tuesday, police reconstructed the sequence of events leading to the attack at Khan’s apartment building, ‘Satguru Sharan,’ with the accused briefly taken to a nearby location to recreate the crime scene.

Police on Tuesday also reconstructed the sequence of events of the crime unfolded at Khan’s building in Bandra. The accused was taken to a nearby building briefly during the recreation of the crime, the official added.

The Mumbai Police also  found several fingerprints of the accused at the actor’s residence, on the stairs of the building, the door of the toilet, and the door handle of his son Jeh’s room. According to the police, the accused attempted to enter three houses before reaching Saif Ali Khan’s residence with the intent to steal.

Mumbai:

Congress MP from Mumbai North Central, Varsha Gaikwad on Thursday targeted the Maharashtra government after Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan sustained minor injuries following a fight with an intruder who entered his residence.

In a post on X, Gaikwad said that the incident happened in Bandra which is considered a safe neighbourhood.

“Extremely shocked at this brazen attack. What is going on in Mumbai? That this happens in Bandra in a what is known as a safe neighbourhood, is what is most concerning. What security can the common man then expect?” the Congress MP said.

She also demanded answers from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the incident.

“Day in and day out we hear of gun violence, robberies, stabbing incidents in Mumbai and MMR and the government has no answers. We need answers Dev_Fadnavis,” she said.

Bollywood actor Pooja Bhatt also reacted to the incident and called for more police security in the Bandra area.

“Can this lawlessness please be curbed @MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice? We need more Police presence in Bandra. The city & especially the queen of the suburbs has never felt so unsafe before. Kind Attn,” she said.

According to Mumbai Police, the incident occurred late Wednesday night when the intruder engaged in an argument with the actor’s maid.

When Saif Ali Khan attempted to intervene and calm the situation, the unknown individual turned aggressive and the two were engaged in a fight, causing the actor to sustain injuries. The investigation is going on. The actor, who was immediately attended to, has been admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for treatment.

According to an official statement from the actors team, “There was an attempted burglary at Saif Ali Khan’s residence. He is currently in hospital undergoing a surgery. We request the media and fans to be patient. It is a police matter We will keep you updated on the situation.”

The police have initiated a full investigation into the matter.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dixit Gedam, “The actor and the intruder had a scuffle. The actor is injured and is being treated. Investigation is ongoing.”

Mumbai:

Actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed six times during a burglary attempt at his residence in Mumbai Bandra on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday.

The actor has six stabs, out of which two are deep and one is near the spine, said Dr Niraj Uttamani from the Lilavati Hospital. He was operated upon by a team of doctors and a cosmetic surgeon is also attending to him.

As per initial investigation, an intruder barged into Mr Khan’s Mumbai house at the Satguru Sharan building, while he was asleep. A fight broke out between the two – actor and burglar – following which the latter stabbed the actor and fled the crime scene.

While one team is scanning CCTV footage of the building, three other teams have left for different areas of Mumbai.

Mumbai:

A new charge sheet filed against five accused of plotting to assassinate Bollywood actor Salman Khan has revealed chilling details. According to the Navi Mumbai Police, the accused, associated with the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, have been charged with conspiracy to murder and other grave offences. 

On April 14, Two men on motorbikes fired multiple rounds outside Mr Khan’s residence in Bandra, leading to the arrest of several individuals.

According to the charge sheet, the Bishnoi gang had issued a contract worth Rs 25 lakh to assassinate the actor. The plan was hatched over several months, from August 2023 to April 2024. Investigations have revealed that the gang intended to acquire advanced firearms from Pakistan, including AK-47s, AK-92s, M16 rifles, and the Turkish-made Zigana pistol, the weapon used in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala on May 29, 2022.

The conspiracy wasn’t merely confined to acquiring weapons; it extended to a well-orchestrated surveillance operation. According to the charge sheet, a network of approximately 60 to 70 individuals was involved in tracking Mr Khan’s every movement. This extensive surveillance covered his residence in Mumbai, his Panvel farmhouse, and even the Goregaon Film City, where he often visited for film shoots.

The charge sheet claims that boys below the age of 18 were recruited to execute the assassination. These minors were reportedly waiting for orders from Goldie Brar and Anmol Bishnoi, key figures in the gang believed to be operating from North America, to initiate the attack.

A day after the shooting incident outside Mr Khan’s home, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met with the actor and assured all help.

“The government is with you, I have told Salman Khan. Both the accused have been arrested. They will be interrogated. We will get to the root of the case. Nobody will be spared. Nobody should targeted this way,” Eknath Shinde told reporters outside the actor’s home.

“No gang or gang war will be allowed. We won’t allow this to happen. We will finish (Lawrence) Bishnoi,” he added.