Man who stabbed Saif Ali Khan arrested after over 70 hours

A man was arrested from Maharashtra's Thane early Sunday for allegedly attacking Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan in his Mumbai residence, the Indian police said. 

The accused, identified as 30-year-old Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, was caught near the Hiranandani Estate in Kasarvadavali, about 35 kilometres from Khan's residence.

Saif Ali Khan suffered multiple stab wounds, including on his neck and near the spine, after the intruder entered his upscale Bandra home and attacked him in the early hours of Thursday, reports NDTV.

"Investigation has revealed that he went to Saif's house with the intention of theft. It seems the accused is a Bangladeshi," senior police official Dixit Gedam said at a press conference after his arrest.

"He does not have any Indian documents. Some things have been recovered from him which show that he is a Bangladeshi," he added.

Gedam said the accused had been living in Mumbai for the past four months and changed his name to Bijoy Das. He used to work at a housekeeping company, the cop said.

A court in Bandra has sent him to a 5-day police custody.

Saif Ali Khan was stabbed six times and was rushed to the city's Lilavati Hospital in an autorickshaw where he underwent emergency surgery. A 2.5-inch piece of the blade was removed from his spine after a five-hour-long surgery.

The 54-year-old actor is recovering well, doctors treating him said Friday.

Earlier Saturday, a suspect - identified as 31-year-old Aakash Kailash Kannojia from Mumbai - was detained at Chhattisgarh's Durg railway station. Officials said he was "caught from the Mumbai-Howrah Jnaneswari Express on the lead of the Mumbai Police."

"Around 2 pm, when the train reached Durg, the suspect - who was sitting in the general compartment - deboarded and was immediately taken into custody. He is being interrogated," the Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials said.

"The Mumbai Police had sent the suspect's photo, train number and location to the RPF, after which he was caught," they said. The man was travelling without a ticket.

He, however, was released this afternoon after Shehzad was arrested.