'I didn't know he was Saif Ali Khan...': Auto driver recounts driving actor to hospital after attack

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, 54, was stabbed with a knife multiple times inside his apartment based in Bandra West, Mumbai in the early hours of Thursday, i.e., January 16. 

As per media reports, he was rushed to Mumbai-based Lilavati hospital in an auto rickshaw. Meanwhile, the auto rickshaw driver who drove the actor to the hospital has opened up on the incident. 

In a conversation with ABP News, the driver, named Bhajan Singh Rana, stated, "I was in running and suddenly I heard a sound from the gate. A lady was screaming help from near the main gate saying rickshaw ruko (stop the rickshaw). Initially, I didn't know he was Saif Ali Khan and thought of it as a normal assault case". 

Rana further recalled that as soon as the actor along with his son got into the rickshaw, his first question was, "Kitna time lagega?" (How long will it take to reach the hospital). 

The auto rickshaw driver also revealed that actor Khan was able to walk and board the vehicle on his own. "He (Saif Ali Khan) walked towards me himself and sat in the auto. He was in an injured state. A small child and one more person was with him. Soon after sitting in my auto, Saif Ali Khan asked me kitna time lagega (how much time will it take to reach hospital). We reached in eight to ten minutes", Rana stated. 

He further said that he hadn't accepted the fair, having seen the actor in such an injured state. 

"He was bleeding from the neck and back. His white kurta turned red, and there was a lot of blood loss. I didn't even take the fare. I feel good that I could help him at that time," the driver said. 

Khan taken out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 

Actor Saif Ali Khan was admitted in the ICU ward of Lilavati Hospital. Earlier today, he was shifted out of the ICU ward. Doctors have said that he is responding well to the treatment. 

Dr Niraj Uttamani, who treated the actor in the first hour following the attack, said, "He had blood all over. But he walked in like a lion with his young child. He is a real hero. He is doing well currently. His parameters have improved. He is being shifted from the ICU to a special room. We will keep visitors in check. We want him to rest", as quoted by news agency ANI.