Fact Check: Saif Ali Khan's attacker unknown, but social media fuels communal misinformation

Hyderabad: During the early hours of January 16, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan and his family endured a harrowing home invasion. The break-in occurred around 2 a.m. at his Bandra residence in Mumbai. The intruder was first spotted by the family’s nanny, Eliyamma Philip, in the room of Saif’s four-year-old son, Jehangir. Reports indicate that the attacker assaulted the nanny before attacking Saif Ali Khan and another staff member.

In this context, several claims have been circulating on social media. While some users have alleged that the assailant was affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), others have shared Muslim names, implying that individuals from the community have been arrested in connection with the incident.

A Facebook user wrote, "Muslim Bollywood actor, Saif Ali Khan, got stabbed by an RSS member 6 times. He's been admitted to the hospital. Situation of Muslims in India! #SaifAliKhan." The post was shared alongside a photo of Saif Ali Khan and an image of some people wearing saffron shawls and holding swords.

BJP UP spokesperson, Prashant Umarao, shared a video of a man reportedly in police custody and wrote, “Mohammad Shahid, who attacked and attempted to slaughter Saif Ali Khan, has been arrested. (Archive)

An X user shared a video of a woman introducing herself as the wife of carpenter Waris Ali and wrote, “Waris Ali arrested in connection with the Saif Ali Khan case.” (Archive)

Similar posts can be seen here and here. (Archive)

Fact Check

NewsMeter has found the claims to be misleading. There is no evidence to suggest that the attacker had any political affiliation, including ties to the RSS. Furthermore, there have been no reports of any Muslim individual being arrested in connection with the case.

A keyword search led to a BBC report titled “Bollywood Star Saif Ali Khan Out of Danger After Being Stabbed,” dated January 17. According to the report, Saif Ali Khan underwent surgery and is now out of danger after being attacked by an unknown intruder at his home. The report quoted Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dixit Gedam, stating that "an unknown person" had entered the actor’s residence, and the exact details of the assault remain unclear.

Furthermore, we found a report from the Hindustan Times titled “Saif Ali Khan Stabbed: 48 Hours Gone, 30 Mumbai Police Teams Formed. Where Is the Attacker?” dated January 18.

According to the report, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was brutally stabbed multiple times by an unknown assailant who broke into his luxurious Bandra home in Mumbai during the early hours of January 16. Despite the deployment of over 30 police teams, more than 48 hours have passed since the incident, and the attacker is yet to be arrested.

An Indian Express report dated January 18 stated that the suspect is still on the run. Authorities suspect he may be a “hardened criminal,” as he reportedly changed his clothes to mislead investigators after fleeing the crime scene. On January 17, the Bandra police detained a “suspect” for questioning. However, after five hours of interrogation, he was released when no connection to the case could be established. Investigators also questioned a carpenter who had recently worked at Saif’s building, along with other workers in the area.

The report noted that with the investigation yielding no results so far, the police appeared to be back to square one. It did not mention the arrest of any individual.

At the time of writing this article, no arrests have been made, and there have been no reports linking the attacker to any organisation or religion.

Therefore, the claim that an RSS member attacked Saif Ali Khan or that individuals with Muslim names have been arrested is misleading.