Mumbai: Colaba Resident Wrongly Accused in Saif Ali Khan Attack Faces Job Loss and Wedding Disruption

Mumbai, 28th January 2025: A 31-year-old Colaba resident, Akash Kailash Kanojia, lost his job and had his wedding plans disrupted after being mistakenly identified by the Mumbai Police as Saif Ali Khan’s attacker. The mix-up stemmed from an incorrect alert issued by the police.

Kanojia highlighted the error, stating, “The police overlooked a simple detail – I have a moustache, while the individual captured in the CCTV footage from Saif Ali Khan’s building did not. Yet, I had to endure this ordeal.”

The Mumbai Police had informed the Railway Protection Force (RPF) that Kanojia was responsible for the January 16th attack on the Bollywood actor at his Bandra apartment. On January 17th, while Kanojia was travelling to Bilaspur via the Jnaneswar Express to meet a prospective bride, he was detained by RPF personnel at Durg Railway Station.

“The RPF not only apprehended me but also issued a press release with my photograph, which was widely circulated by television channels and media. Consequently, the bride’s family cancelled our meeting, and my employer terminated my services,” Kanojia recounted.

Following his detention, Kanojia was informed that he would be taken to Mumbai for further investigation. Despite his repeated pleas to the Mumbai Police, asserting his innocence and urging them to review CCTV footage from his residence, his requests were ignored. The police instead circulated his photographs, leading to significant personal and professional setbacks for Kanojia.