Man detained over knife attack on Bollywood actor

Delhi & Mumbai (India), January 17 — Police in the Indian city of Mumbai have detained a man in connection with the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, according to media reports

Khan was stabbed during a scuffle at his residence with an unidentified man on Thursday morning. The actor is recovering after surgery.

Police have seized CCTV footage from the actor's residence in the upscale neighbourhood of Bandra and initial reports suggest the attack may have been intended as a theft.

It is not clear whether the detained man was the intruder.

The BBC has accessed a statement given by a nurse who works in Khan's home to the police, which provides some details about the events that unfolded on the night of the incident.

Eliyama Philip, who takes care of Khan's son, said she first noticed the shadow of a man near the bathroom door late at night while she was in the child's room with the nanny.

Ms Philip said a man appeared holding a wooden object in one hand and a long blade in another and warned the two against making any noise. He demanded 10m rupees ($115,477; £94,511), she said.

A scuffle soon broke out, during which Ms Philip was injured. Meanwhile, the nanny fled the room.

According to the nurse's statement, Khan and his wife, actress Kareena Kapoor, rushed to the room after hearing the commotion. She said the attacker struck Khan with a blade when he confronted him, then fled the house.

Khan suffered several injuries - including one on the back of his neck - in the attack.

Dr Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital, where Khan is being treated, said that when the actor arrived, he was bleeding from his spine with a knife fragment embedded. The fragment was surgically removed, and fluid leakage was controlled. Doctors said that timely treatment prevented severe spinal damage.

Dr Dange said on Friday that Khan is "better now".

"We made him walk, and he walked well. Looking at his parameters, his wounds and all the other injuries, he is safe to be shifted out of the ICU. He has to take several precautions. He has to take rest and his movement has been restricted for a week," he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai police Dixit Gadam said that the weapon used for the attack has not been found and that they have registered a complaint based on the nurse's statement.

"The accused used the fire escape ladder to enter," he said. "The investigation is going on to determine how the house's door was opened or how the intruder gained access."

Khan, 54, is also a producer, who has appeared in several films and TV shows over the years. He is known for his quick wit and comic timing.

His portrayal of the antagonist in the 2006 critically acclaimed Omkara was widely praised. He has won multiple awards, including the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2010.

Khan is the son of former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actor Sharmila Tagore.