A man detained as a suspect in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, but later released after the real attacker was caught, has said that his life has been thrown into complete chaos due to the police action.
Akash Kanojia, a driver working with a tour company associated with Western Railway in Mumbai, was detained on January 18 by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) based on a tip-off from Mumbai Police. This came after Saif Ali Khan was allegedly stabbed by an intruder in the early hours of January 16 at his apartment in Bandra, an upscale neighborhood in Mumbai.
Kanojia’s detention turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. On January 19, Mumbai Police arrested the actual suspect, a Bangladeshi national named Shariful Islam Shehzad, from Thane near Mumbai. Kanojia was subsequently released, but the damage to his life had already been done.
The actor, who underwent surgery following the incident, was discharged on January 21.
Speaking to the media, Akash Kanojia criticized the Mumbai Police, claiming their error caused immense distress to him and his family. He revealed that news channels had flashed his pictures as the main suspect, leaving his loved ones in shock. “Their one mistake ruined my life. They failed to notice I had a moustache, while the person in the CCTV grab from the actor’s building did not,” Kanojia told PTI.
At the time of his detention, Kanojia was traveling from Mumbai to Bilaspur to meet his prospective bride. He was stopped by RPF officers at Durg railway station, where he was held until the police confirmed the identity of the real attacker.
