Saif Ali Khan News: Bhajan Singh Rana, the auto-rickshaw driver who transported Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan to Lilavati Hospital after the stabbing incident at his residence, has revealed the sequence of events from that night. Speaking to ABP News, he said the police had not interrogated him regarding the incident and that he initially did not recognise Saif, assuming it was a regular assault case.
"He was bleeding from the neck, his white kurta turned red, and there was a lot of blood loss," Rana recalled, adding that Saif Ali Khan was also injured in the back. He revealed that the initial plan was to go to the Holy Family Hospital in Bandra, but then Saif asked to be taken to Lilavati Hospital.
Recalling the moment Saif boarded his auto, Rana said, "He walked towards me himself; a small child was with him. He was in an injured state, and I just had to get him to the hospital quickly. We reached hospital in eight to ten minutes."
Rana also described how he was stopped by a woman calling out to him near the actor’s residence. "I heard a lady’s voice, she was shouting 'riksha riksha'. I looked and halted the auto, then took a U-turn towards the gate. Saif Ali Khan got into the auto at the gate itself," he said.
The auto driver further said, "At that moment, I didn't realise it was Saif Ali Khan. He was wearing a pant and kurta, both completely soaked in blood. His entire body had wounds. I was shocked to see him in that state. When we reached the hospital, we took him to the emergency door. An ambulance was parked there. Once the ambulance moved, I parked the rickshaw to the side. That’s when I realised he was a star, and he was in such a terrible condition."
Elaborating on the crucial moments, he said, "Even after getting out of the rickshaw, he (Saif) walked on his own. He had injuries on his neck and back. It seemed like he was bleeding profusely. When he stepped out, all I could see was red—it was blood everywhere. There were three people in total. I didn’t take any fare to take them to the hospital. Saif Ali Khan was not scared. He got out of the auto calmly."
"They were talking in English among themselves. Saif kept talking to the child continuously in the auto...I feel good that I could help him at that time," Rana remarked.
He also recalled, "After reaching the hospital, Saif told the staff there, 'I am Saif Ali Khan. Bring the stretcher quickly'."
Saif, 54, suffered multiple stab wounds, including a deep injury to his neck, after an intruder attacked him in his Bandra apartment in the early hours of Thursday. He underwent emergency surgery at Lilavati Hospital.
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Saif Ali Khan News: Doctors Say Actor ‘Doing Well’
Dr Nitin Dange, the neurosurgeon who led the team operating on Saif, said on Friday that the actor is making a strong recovery. "We are observing his progress, and he is doing excellently well according to our expectations. If he remains comfortable, we will discharge him in two to three days," he said, as per news agency PTI.
Saif had suffered three injuries—two on his hand and one on the right side of his neck. The most severe injury was to his thoracic spine, where a sharp object had penetrated deep but did not damage the spinal cord. "We removed the sharp object and repaired the spinal injury," Dr Dange explained.
The doctor added, "He is very lucky. We repaired the leaking spinal fluid and the dura. Today, when we made him walk, he was completely okay. He is on a regular diet, and that’s why we have decided to shift him from the ICU to a normal special room. He has been advised bed rest due to the deeper spinal injury. We are restricting visitors to allow him to rest."
An image of the sharp object, reportedly a knife blade, has gone viral on social media.
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Saif Ali Khan News: Intruder Demanded Rs 1 Crore, Say Mumbai Police
According to the police, the intruder did not force entry but likely sneaked into the actor’s flat with the intent to commit robbery. A statement given to the police by Saif’s son Jeh’s nanny, Eliyama Philip, revealed that the attacker had demanded Rs 1 crore.
CCTV footage from the actor’s building showed a man wearing a red scarf and carrying a backpack fleeing down the stairs from the sixth floor. The detained man was reportedly carrying a similar backpack.