Actor Saif Ali Khan was discharged from Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday, six days after he suffered serious injuries in a knife attack during a burglary at his Bandra home. The actor’s mother, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, was by his side as he prepared to leave. His wife Kareena Kapoor Khan had been present at the hospital but returned home sometime earlier.
He has been advised complete rest for a week and avoidance of visitors to avoid the risk of infection. Security at both the hospital and his residence has been tightened, with scores of fans gathering outside for a glimpse of their favorite actor.
The shocking incident once again brought into question the safety of Mumbai when an intruder entered Khan’s house and stabbed him with a knife, inflicting six stab injuries. Bleeding, he was rushed to the hospital in an auto-rickshaw.
Doctors said one of the injuries was near his spine and missed the spinal cord by just 2 mm. He underwent a surgery for leakage of spinal fluid. Khan also underwent plastic surgery for wounds on his arm and neck.
It was Eliyama Philip, who looks after the sons of Khan, Taimur and Jeh, who first saw him. Woken by noises around 2 am, she at first thought it was Kareena checking on Jeh. She soon realized that something was off and confronted him, who demanded money—one crore.
On hearing Philip’s screams, Saif and Kareena rushed out. In the scuffle, Khan managed to get away from the attacker, and the family ran upstairs. Police arrested Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national, for allegedly breaking into Khan’s house. The suspect was brought to the residence to recreate the crime as part of the investigation.
