Mumbai:

Days after insurance provider Niva Bupa swiftly approved a medical insurance claim from actor Saif Ali Khan’s family after the shocking attack on him, an organisation of medical professionals has written to insurance regulator IRDAI, questioning celebrities’ “preferential treatment”.

Following the knife attack on Mr Khan during a burglary attempt at his Mumbai home, a document of his mediclaim approval emerged on social media. According to the document, a cashless request of nearly Rs 36 lakh had been placed for the actor’s five-day stay. In its initial approval, the insurance provider had cleared a payout of Rs 25 lakh. Niva Bupa confirmed receiving the pre-authorisation request and said further claims would be processed as per guidelines.

The Mumbai-based Association of Medical Consultants, which says it represents over 14,000 medical practitioners and has branches in several cities, has written to the chairman of IRDAI — Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India — on the cashless clearance for Mr Khan’s treatment.

“We are writing to express our concern and dissatisfaction regarding the recent news of Mr Saif Ali Khan being sanctioned Rs 25 lakhs for cashless treatment under his insurance policy, which seems to be a preferential treatment compared to the benefits available to the common policyholders,” the organisation has said in a statement.

“This instance highlights a troubling trend where celebrities and high-profile individuals and patients with corporate policies receive favorable terms and higher cashless treatment limits, while ordinary citizens struggle with insufficient coverage and low reimbursement rates,” it has said.

The Association of Medical Consultants has said such practices create an “unfair disparity”. “We believe Insurance should be a safeguard for all, irrespective of social status. Preferential treatment based on celebrity status creates a two-tier system, which is discriminatory against ordinary policyholders. There is a need for greater transparency in how insurance claims and cashless treatment limits are determined,” it has said.

The organisation has requested IRDAI to probe the matter and ensure that all policyholders, regardless of social status, are treated equally. It has also demanded guidelines to prevent preferential treatment and enhance transparency in mediclaim approvals.

Mr Khan was admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital on January 16 after he suffered six stab injuries during a fight with an intruder who had broken into his home to commit robbery. One of his injuries was on the spine and the knife missed his spinal cord by just 2 mm, doctors have said. Mr Khan has been operated upon for his back injury and wounds on his arm and neck. He was discharged last week and has been advised bed rest for a week.

New Delhi:

Md Ruhul Amin Fakir, father of Mohammed Shariful Islam, the man accused in the recent attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, spoke exclusively with IANS on Thursday. He defended his son and called into question the allegations. Mr Fakir insisted his son had been wrongfully implicated in the incident.

According to Mr Fakir, the images from CCTV footage showing a suspect with long hair do not match his son’s usual appearance. “From what is shown in the CCTV… my son never keeps his hair long. I believe my son is being framed,” Mr Fakir asserted, denying any connection between his son’s typical appearance and the person seen in the footage.

Shariful, who is from Bangladesh, had moved to India due to the political unrest in his home country.

To a question from IANS, Mr Fakir explained: “He left Bangladesh and came to India for one reason — the political unrest in Bangladesh… He was working where he received a salary, and his employer even rewarded him…”

Mr Fakir went on to describe his son’s life in India, painting a picture of a man simply trying to make a living in a foreign country.

“The salary in Mumbai’s hotels is higher than in West Bengal. The hotels there are quite large, and the salary is also higher,” Mr Fakir noted, suggesting that Shariful moved to Mumbai for better job prospects in the hospitality industry.

Despite the gravity of the accusations against his son, Fakir insists that he hasn’t received any communication from the police.

Asked if the local police had contacted him, he said: “No, nothing like that has happened. No one has come from anywhere. We don’t know anyone in India. We have no support in India.”

Mr Fakir reflected on his last conversation with Shariful, recalling their regular exchanges.

“My last conversation with my son was on a Friday evening,” he said. “He (Shariful) used to get his salary after the 10th of every month… After that, he would talk to me.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Doctors have removed a piece of the broken knife from the actor’s spine. (FILE)

Mumbai:

The manhunt to arrest the intruder who attacked actor Saif Ali Khan in his Bandra residence on Thursday is still ongoing, with the Mumbai Police recording statements of over 30 people. One person has been detained for questioning.

Mumbai:

The man who stabbed Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Mumbai residence early Thursday morning had also threatened his domestic staff before the alleged attack. In a police statement, Mr Khan’s domestic staff said the knife-wielding attacker – who is on the run and was seen near the Bandra railway station hours after the incident – also demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore.

Saif Ali Khan was stabbed six times, including in his neck, at his apartment in the posh Bandra West neighbourhood around 2:30 am. He is said to be out of danger following an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital where he was reportedly rushed by one of his sons – Ibrahim Ali Khan – in an auto-rickshaw after his car was delayed.

Eliyama Philip – a nurse caring for Mr Khan’s four-year-old son Jehangir (also known as Jeh) – and another staffer were also injured in the attack.

Intruder Enters Saif Ali Khan’s House

Saif Ali Khan and his family members – his wife and fellow actor Kareena Kapoor, and their two sons, Jeh and eight-year-old Taimur – were home in the 12-floor apartment along with their five house helps when the attacker entered the house.

In a statement to the police, Ms Philip, who claimed she has been with the Khan household for four years, said she was the first to spot the intruder – who was between 35-40 years old – at Mr Khan’s apartment on the 11th floor.

A view of the 12-storey building, Satguru Sharan, in which Saif Ali Khan was attacked
Photo Credit: ANI

She said she had been woken by noises in the house around 2 am – three hours after Jehangir had been put to bed. She told the police the attacker first entered Jeh’s room.

Ms Philip said she saw the bathroom door ajar and the light on and first assumed that Ms Kapoor Khan was checking in on her younger son.

“… then I went back to sleep but, again, I realised something was wrong. So I woke up again and saw a man come out of the bathroom and go into the boy’s room.”

“I quickly got up and went to Jeh’s room. The attacker then put his finger near his mouth and said “Don’t make any noise, nobody will go out” in Hindi,” Ms Philip said.

When I rushed to pick up Jeh, the man – who was armed with a wooden stick and a long Hexa blade – ran towards me and tried attacking me, she said.

“I tried to block the attack by putting my hand forward, but the blade hit me near the wrists of both my hands and on the middle finger of my left hand,” she said.

“At that time, I asked him, “What do you want?”. Then he said, “I want money.” I asked, “How much do you want?” Then he said in English, “One crore”,” 56-year-old Philip recalled in her police statement.

Saif Ali Khan’s Encounter With Intruder

Hearing Ms Philip’s scream, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan rushed out of their room. When Mr Khan asked him “what do you want?”, he attacked him with a wooden object and the hexa blade, Ms Philip said in her police statement.

“Saif Sir somehow managed to get away from him and we all ran out of the room and pulled the door of the room,” she said, adding that everyone then went to the upper floor of their home.

The intruder later managed to escape, she said.

Suspect in Saif Ali Khan knife attack incident

According to police sources, there was no sign of forced entry, nor was anyone captured on CCTV entering the premises in the two hours before the attack.

According to police sources, the intruder – who entered the actor’s home to commit burglary – had scaled the wall of an adjacent compound to enter the premises. Officials said the intruder was familiar with the layout of the building and took the stairs on the rear side of the building to reach the floor where the actor lives.

He then entered Mr Khan’s home through the fire escape.

Mumbai Police has formed 20 teams to arrest the accused, who was captured on CCTV cameras on the sixth floor while fleeing.

Mumbai:

The knife attack on actor Saif Ali Khan has left the film fraternity in shock, with many questioning how the intruder gained access to his home in the posh Bandra locality. Left bleeding after the attack, he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent surgery. He is now out of danger.

The cops have formed 20 teams to arrest the accused and are looking into the chain of events that unfolded in the Satguru Sharan building where the actor lives with his wife and actor Kareena Kapoor Khan and their two sons.

There was no sign of forced entry, nor was anyone captured on CCTV entering the premises in the two hours before the attack. Police said that the intruder had entered the actor’s home to commit burglary.

According to police sources, the intruder had scaled the wall of an adjacent compound to enter the premises. Officials said the intruder was familiar with the layout of the building and took the stairs on the rear side the building to reach the floor where the actor lives. He then entered Mr Khan’s home through the fire escape, said cops.

Read: Saif Ali Khan ‘Out Of Danger’, Attacker Demanded Rs 1 Crore: 10 Points

He was first spotted in the actor’s younger son Jeh’s room. Jeh’s nanny Eliyama Philip said she first spotted the intruder around 2 am and confronted him.

“I saw the bathroom door ajar and the light on and assumed it was Kareena Kapoor. Soon I sensed something was wrong and when I went to check, I saw a man come out of the bathroom and enter Taimur and Jeh’s room,” she said.

Read: “If Celebrities Not Safe, Who Is?” Team Uddhav After Saif Ali Khan Stabbed

The 56-year-old nanny said when she confronted the man, he demanded Rs 1 crore. She was injured as she tried to fight him off while another house help Junu – who was in the same room – rushed to Mr Khan’s room and woke him up.

Saif Ali Khan then confronted the intruder and was stabbed six times. Another house help, Geeta, helped Mr Khan overpower the intruder and locked him inside a room.

Read: How Robber Broke Into Saif Ali Khan’s Home, Who Spotted Him, What Followed

Everyone then went to the upper floor of their home, but the intruder managed to escape by then. According to police sources, he was captured on CCTV cameras on the sixth floor while fleeing. However, there was no sign of him after that – he was not seen on CCTVs in the lobby area. The cops suspect he used the fire shaft to reach the ground floor and exited through the back door, sources said.

The break-in lasted for 30 minutes.

Mr Khan was left bleeding from six injuries, including one in his spine. The intruder’s knife was lodged into his spine due to which his spinal fluid had leaked out.

With no cars ready to leave at the moment, he was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, about 2 km from their home. The doctors at the hospital conducted plastic surgeries on his hand and neck and repaired the spinal injury.

The cops have registered a case of robbery, trespassing, and causing grievous hurt.

Actor Saif Ali Khan, who underwent surgeries on Thursday after an attacker stabbed him at his Mumbai home, is out of danger and recovering well, doctors at the Lilavati Hospital said. The police have formed 20 teams to arrest the accused.

Mumbai:

The man who stabbed Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan – at his home in Mumbai’s posh Bandra West neighbourhood early Thursday morning – demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore, police sources told NDTV this evening, citing a statement by a member of Mr Khan’s domestic staff. The staffer – a nurse caring for Mr Khan’s four-year-old son Jehangir, said the knife-wielding attacker first entered the boy’s room.

Three people – Saif Ali Khan, 54, the nurse, and another staffer – were injured in the attack that followed the demand. Mr Khan was stabbed six times, resulting in injuries to his spinal cord. He was rushed to the city’s Lilavati Hospital – by his son Ibrahim in an auto-rickshaw after his car was delayed. 

The actor’s medical condition is now stable, doctors have said. Follow LIVE UPDATES HERE.

Mr Khan and his family – wife and fellow actor Kareena Kapoor Khan and their sons – live in an apartment – spread over four floors – in a twelve-storey building in Bandra West.

READ | Saif Ali Khan’s Attacker Seen On CCTV In Building Staircase

Earlier today police sources told NDTV the attacker – who was looking to burgle the apartment – entered the compound via an adjacent. He was spotted in CCTV footage from a stairwell in the actor’s home; he can be seen in a t-shirt and jeans, with an orange scarf on his shoulder.

The nurse caring for Jehangir, Eliyama Phillipes, who has been with the Khan household for four years, was the first to spot the intruder. She told the police she had been woken by noises in the house early Thursday morning; this was around 2 am, she said, three hours after Jehangir had been put to bed.

She said she saw the bathroom door ajar and the light on, and first assumed Kareena Kapoor Khan was checking in on her younger son. “… then I went back to sleep but, again, I realised something was wrong. So I woke up again and saw a man come out of the bathroom and go into the boy’s room.”

At this point she confronted him – he responded by pointed his finger at himself and said, in Hindi, ‘don’t make a sound’ – and he demanded the Rs 1 crore.

And when she tried to fight him off, the 56-year-old suffered injuries to her wrists and hands. According to her statement, she then screamed, which alerted Mr Khan who also tried to fight off the intruder.

READ | Maid Saw Intruder, Screamed, Saif Fought Him: What Happened?

He was stabbed six times in that fight, and a two-and-a-half inch fragment of the knife broke off and lodged in his spine. Doctors said he sustained “severe injuries to the thoracic spinal cord… two other deep wounds on his left hand and one on his neck were repaired by plastic surgery…”

READ | “Stabbed In Spine, Neck, And Hand”: Doctors Say Saif Out Of Danger

The third person injured was a maid called Geeta.

The police have registered a case under sections of robbery, trespassing, and “grievous hurt caused while committing lurking house-trespass”. The suspect has not yet been arrested.

The attack has thrown up tough questions about the response of the security guards on duty at the high-profile building, and how the intruder managed to enter the actor’s home undetected.

It has also triggered a predictable political squabble, with the BJP-led state government under fire from the opposition and members of the film fraternity. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis – who is also the Home Minister – called the attack ‘unfortunate’, but denied talk of Mumbai being unsafe.

READ | “Mumbai Not Unsafe”: Devendra Fadnavis After Saif Ali Khan Attack

This followed jabs from Shiv Sena (ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s faction) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, who declared, “If celebrities are not safe, who in Mumbai is?”

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also joined the list of opposition figures targeting the BJP on this issue. 

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Mumbai:

Nearly 12 hours after the life-threatening attack on actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra home, Mumbai police have identified a suspect, sources have said. The suspect entered the premises of the actor’s home from the adjacent building after scaling the wall in between, sources in the crime branch said. The police also suspect that one of Mr Khan’s house helps knew the attacker and gave him entry into the house. This help is now being questioned as Mumbai Police tries to get to the bottom of the shocking attack on the 54-year-old actor in one of the poshest areas of the Maximum City.

The actor has suffered six stab injuries, one of them near his spine, and has been operated upon at Lilavati Hospital. He is reportedly out of danger.

Mumbai Police, left red-faced after the shock attack on the actor during a burglary attempt, has said they are investigating the incident. “An unidentified person intruded in the residence of Actor Saif Ali Khan. The actor and the intruder had a scuffle. The actor is injured and is being treated. Investigation is going on,” police said.

CCTV cameras at Saif Ali Khan’s home did not capture anyone entering the premises within two hours before the attack, meaning that whoever attacked the actor had entered the building earlier and had been waiting to strike. Police are scanning CCTV footage to identify the attacker, who fled after stabbing the actor.

The Opposition has hit out at the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra, questioning the law and order situation of the Maximum City if even celebrities are not safe.

Targeting the state government on Mumbai’s law and order situation, 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 and the Home Minister. This is after a series of incidents that show there is a deliberate attempt to undermine Mumbai by targeting big names.”

Ms Chaturvedi also brought up the attack that killed veteran politician Baba Siddique and the firing outside actor Salman Khan’s home.

“Baba Siddique ji’s family is still awaiting justice after his shocking murder. Salman Khan forced to live in a bulletproof house. Now it is Saif Ali Khan 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,” Ms Chaturvedi said.

Actor Pooja Bhatt has strongly responded to the attack on her colleague.

Taking to social media platform X, the 52-year-old actor posted multiple tweets, demanding more police presence in Bandra. She tagged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar and minister Ashish Shelar drawing their attention to the issue.

“Can this lawlessness please be curbed @MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice. We need more Police presence in Bandra. The city and especially the queen of the subburbs, have never felt so unsafe before,” Ms Bhatt said. “Law & Order. We have laws.. what about order?” she added.

Mumbai:

Sniffer dogs have been deployed and security has been increased outside the building in which actor Saif Ali Khan stays with his family after a knife attack left the actor with six wounds early this morning. Mr Khan was stabbed after he confronted an intruder during an alleged burglary attempt at his house. The intruder fled after the attack and the actor was rushed to Lilavati hospital. He is now out of danger.

Read: Saif Ali Khan Attacked With Knife At Home, Stabbed Near Spine

While initial information suggested an unauthorized entry into the house, no one was captured on CCTV cameras entering the premises within two hours before the attack. It is now suspected that the attacker was related to one of the house helps who helped him enter the house and that he may have been hiding inside the building, said sources.

Follow updates on Saif Ali Khan stabbing

A Mumbai Police team is at the ‘Satguru Sharan’ building probing the attack that has left the film world in shock with opposition parties in Maharashtra questioning the law and order situation in the financial capital. The crime branch has formed seven teams to search for the suspect. Three teams are scouring different areas of the city while one team is going through CCTV footage for any lead. A crime branch team is also on standby to go out of Mumbai if needed.

Read: Saif Ali Khan’s House Help Knew His Attacker, Let Him In, Suspect Cops

In a statement hours after the attack, the actor’s team said he was injured in the attack, but his family was doing fine. They have also asked the media and his fans to be patient.

Out of the six stab injuries, two were deep wounds and one is near his spine, said doctors treating him.

Mr Khan underwent a two-hour surgery and is now in the recovery room of the operation theatre. He will be shifted to the deluxe suite on the hospital’s VIP floor once he is brought out of the operation theatre.