Revealed: How Saif's attacker broke into his house

After breaking much sweat, the Mumbai police on Sunday arrested 30-year-old Bangladeshi man, Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, from Thane for allegedly stabbing actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence.

According to police, Shehzad sneaked into the Bollywood star's apartment in the early hours of January 16 with the intention of theft.

Preliminary investigation suggests that he climbed the stairs to the seventh-eighth floor of the building where Khan and his actor wife Kareena Kapoor live with their children and domestic staff.

"He entered the duct area, climbed to the 12th floor using a pipe and entered the actor's flat through a bathroom window. He then came out from the bathroom, where the actor's staff spotted him, leading to the chain of events that culminated into the knife attack," the official said.

The official said the accused started arguing with a nanny in Khan's house and demanded Rs 1 crore. Hearing the ruckus, Khan arrived at the spot and held the attacker from the front.

"The accused was startled and stabbed Khan in his back. Khan later locked the flat believing the accused was pinned inside. However, he managed to flee from the same area from where he had entered," the official said.

He said police recovered a hammer, screwdriver, nylon rope and other materials from his bag, which suggests he may have criminal antecedents.

The accused realised that he had attacked a Bollywood star only after seeing television news and social media posts, the official said.

The 54-year-old actor underwent an emergency surgery at the Lilavati Hospital where he was rushed following the incident that took place around 2.30 am. He is recovering and may be discharged soon, doctors have said.

The police said Shehzad hails from Jhalokathi, also called Jhalakathi, district in southern Bangladesh's Barisal division, adding that he was in Mumbai for the past five months, during which he did petty jobs, including at a housekeeping agency.

Shehzad was nabbed at Hiranandani Estate on Ghodbandar Road.

The police officer said Shehzad had changed his name to Vijay Das after entering India illegally from Bangladesh.