Saif thanks, gives money to auto-rickshaw driver who took him to hospital post-knife attack
In an interview with PTI, Rana said that Khan not only thanked him for his timely help but also offered him financial support, although the exact amount remains unclear.
Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan is seen with auto-rickshaw driver Bhajan Singh Rana, who rushed him to hospital after he was injured in the knife attack at his home, at the Lilavati Hospital before getting discharged, in Mumbai (PTI)
MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has expressed his gratitude to auto-rickshaw driver Bhajan Singh Rana, who provided critical assistance by rushing him to the hospital following a knife attack at Khan's residence in Mumbai last week.
In an interview with PTI, Rana said that Khan not only thanked him for his timely help but also offered him financial support, although the exact amount remains unclear.
Reports suggest that Rana, originally hailing from Uttarakhand, may have received around Rs 50,000, though the driver has chosen not to confirm this figure, citing a promise to Khan.
"I have promised to him (Saif) and I will stick to it. Let people speculate about it," Rana stated firmly when questioned about the amount.
“Let people say that he (Saif) gave me Rs 50,000 or Rs 1,00,000, but I would not like to reveal the amount. He has requested me to not share this information and I’ll keep my promise to him, whatever it is, it is between him and me,” said Rana, who shares a one-room flat in Khar with four other roommates.
He, however, mentioned receiving Rs 11,000 from a social worker named Faizan Ansari.
Just before the actor's discharge on Tuesday evening, Rana had the opportunity to meet Khan and his family and he paid his respects by touching the feet of Khan's mother, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, and shared that the family treated him with kindness, even taking photos together.
"I met him (Saif) yesterday (Tuesday) at the hospital. He called to thank me for taking him to the hospital. He praised me. I got the blessings from him and his family. He (Khan) introduced me to his mother (Sharmila Tagore), and I touched her feet. He gave me (money) whatever he felt was right, and said whenever I need help he will be there," the auto-rickshaw driver said.
Rana said he has been inundated with calls from the media, friends and relatives following the news of him taking Khan to the hospital in his auto-rickshaw.
“It was a regular day at work for me. I often drive the auto at night. I’ve been in this profession for 15 years, but it has never happened that a celebrity has travelled in my auto. Since then (after taking Khan to hospital), my life seems to have changed. Today, almost everyone knows me by my name and face,” Rana, who earns anywhere between Rs 10,000 to 20,000 a month, said.
The stabbing incident occurred on January 16, when Khan, 54, was attacked in his 12th-floor apartment in the upscale Bandra area during an attempted robbery. He sustained multiple stab wounds and underwent two surgeries at a nearby private hospital.
Rana recounted his visit to Khan at the hospital, saying, "I met him yesterday (Tuesday) at the hospital. He called to thank me for taking him to the hospital. He praised me. I got the blessings from him and his family."
Police have arrested the intruder, identified as Shareeful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national who illegally entered India last year and assumed the alias Vijay Das.
He is currently in police custody, and initial investigations indicate he intended to commit theft during the attack.
Police have announced that multiple departments from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kalina will analyse key evidence related to the case, including mobile phones, the accused's clothing, and CCTV footage. Various forensic departments will be involved in the examination, as investigators face challenges in interrogating Fakir due to language barriers
On Tuesday, police reconstructed the sequence of events leading to the attack at Khan's apartment building, 'Satguru Sharan,' with the accused briefly taken to a nearby location to recreate the crime scene.
Commenting on Khan's recovery, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam raised questions about the actor's swift return to health following a six-hour surgery for deep stab wounds.
"The doctors at Lilavati Hospital said the knife had penetrated 2.5 inches inside Saif Ali Khan's back. They should clarify how a person who underwent such an extensive operation can recover so quickly," Nirupam remarked.
Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP from Shiv Sena (UBT), also said the "the knife was wedged deep, but Saif walked out alive from the hospital. This is nothing short of a miracle by the doctors."