Akash Kailash Kanojia, a 31-year-old driver from Mumbai, found his life unraveling after being wrongfully identified by police as the suspect in an attempted burglary at Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan’s Bandra apartment on January 16. The mix-up led to his detention while he was on his way to meet a prospective bride, ultimately costing him both his job and his marriage proposal.
The ordeal began when Mumbai police, following a tip-off, alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF), leading to Kanojia’s detention at Durg station in Chhattisgarh on January 17. Despite his pleas of innocence and suggesting authorities verify CCTV footage from near his house, Kanojia was detained, and his photograph was circulated across media outlets, labeling him as the attacker.
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It wasn’t until January 19, when the actual culprit, Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested, that Kanojia was released. By then, the damage had been done. His employer had terminated his contract, and his marriage proposal was called off due to the widespread media coverage linking him to the crime.
Kanojia expressed his frustration, noting a key oversight by the police: he had a moustache, while the actual attacker seen on CCTV did not. Despite this clear discrepancy, the authorities pursued Kanojia. Now, he’s fighting to clear his name and undo the harm caused by this case of mistaken identity, demanding that media outlets remove the falsely associated images.
Meanwhile, Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor were seen together for the first time since the attack, stepping out with heavy security after Saif’s discharge from the hospital, where he was treated for multiple injuries.
