Khan, one of India’s biggest stars, was stabbed by an intruder at his home, in an attack that shocked the country. He is recovering after surgery.

On Sunday, police said they had arrested the key suspect, Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, adding that he was a citizen of Bangladesh who was staying in India illegally.

Mr Shehzad’s lawyer has denied the allegations and says he is not from Bangladesh.

Police say they arrested Mr Shehzad from Thane, a district in the outskirts of Mumbai.

Preliminary evidence suggests that he came to the city about six months ago and had been working at a housekeeping agency using a fake name and ID, Dixit Gedam, a deputy commissioner of Mumbai police, told a press conference.

Police suspect that Mr Shehzad allegedly broke into Khan’s home with the intention of robbing him, Mr Gedam said.

On Sunday, a court in Mumbai sent Mr Shehzad to five-day police custody.

His lawyer, Sandeep Shikhane, told reporters that his client was being made a “scapegoat”.

“There is no documentary evidence to suggest he is a Bangladeshi citizen,” he said.

The attack on Khan has made national headlines and also raised questions about safety and security in Mumbai, one of India’s most populated cities and its financial capital.

Khan was stabbed six times and suffered several injuries, including one on the back of his neck, in the attack at his home in an upscale neighbourhood.

A nurse, Eliyama Philip, who works in Khan’s home, told the police last week that she first noticed the shadow of a man near the bathroom door late at night while she was in the child’s room with the nanny.

Ms Philip said a man appeared holding a wooden object in one hand and a long blade in another and warned the two against making any noise. He demanded 10m rupees ($115,477; £94,511), she said.

A scuffle broke out, during which Ms Philip was injured. She also said that hearing the commotion, Khan and his wife rushed to the room and that the attacker struck the actor with a blade before fleeing.

On Friday, investigators reportedly detained – and later released – at least five other people for questioning in connection with the investigation.

Many of the men were taken into custody because they resembled the attacker, who was captured on CCTV camera while he was exiting the building.

The attack took place early Thursday morning at an upscale neighbourhood of Mumbai city, where Khan lives with his family.

The city police told BBC Marathi that the actor was injured after a scuffle broke out between him and an unidentified man who entered his house sometime after midnight.

Khan’s family has not made any public statements but his publicity team said it was a case of “attempted burglary” without giving any further details.

Khan has been taken to the city’s Lilavati Hospital where he is undergoing surgery.

Niraj Uttamani, the hospital’s chief operating officer, told BBC Marathi that Khan had received six stab wounds, of which two were deep.

“One is close to the spine. He is being operated upon by a team of specialist doctors,” he added.

Police have launched an investigation.

“An unknown person entered the house of the actor. After that, an argument broke out between him and the intruder,” said Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gedam.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, the actor’s team asked his fans to respect his privacy.

“We request the media and fans to be patient. It is a police matter. We will keep you updated on the situation”, they said.