One person arrested for stabbing a Bollywood actor
Police in the Indian city of Mumbai have arrested a man in connection with a knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan last week.
Khan was one of India’s biggest stars stabbed The attack on his house by an intruder shocked the nation. He is recovering after surgery.
On Sunday, police said they had arrested the main suspect, Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad, and said he was a Bangladeshi national who was living in India illegally.
Mr Shahzad’s lawyer has denied the allegations and said he is not from Bangladesh.
Police say they arrested Mr Shehzad from Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai.
Mumbai Police Deputy Commissioner Dixit Gedam told a press conference that preliminary evidence suggests that he had come to the city about six months ago and was working at a housekeeping agency using a fake name and ID.
Mr Gedam said the police suspected that Mr Shehzad had allegedly entered Khan’s house with the intention of robbing him.
On Sunday, a Mumbai court sent Mr Shahzad to five days’ police custody.
His lawyer, Sandeep Shikhane, told reporters That his client was being made a “scapegoat”.
“There is no documentary evidence that he is a Bangladeshi citizen,” he said.
The attack on Khan made national headlines and also raised questions about safety and security in Mumbai, one of India’s most populous cities and its financial capital.
Khan was stabbed six times and suffered multiple injuries, including a laceration to the back of his neck, in the attack at his home in an upscale neighborhood.
Eliama Philip, a nurse who worked at Khan’s home, told police last week that she first saw the shadow of a man near the bathroom door late at night while she was in the baby’s room with the nanny.
Ms Philip said a man appeared holding a wooden object in one hand and a long blade in the other and warned both of them against making any noise. They demanded 10 million rupees ($115,477; £94,511), he said.
A scuffle ensued, during which Ms Philip was injured. He also said that after hearing the noise, Khan and his wife rushed to the room and the attacker attacked the actor with a blade before running away.
On Friday, investigators reportedly taken into custody – and later released – at least five other people for questioning in connection with the investigation.
Several people were taken into custody because they resembled the attacker, who was captured on CCTV cameras leaving the building.
Additional reporting by Alpesh Karkare for BBC Marathi
