Akash Kailash Kanojia, a 31-year-old driver, found his life turned upside down when Mumbai police mistakenly identified him as the attacker involved in an attempted burglary at Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan’s Bandra apartment on January 16.

The confusion began when the Mumbai police issued a tip-off to the Railway Protection Force (RPF), leading to Akash Kanojia’s detention while en route to Bilaspur. On January 17, Kanojia travelled on the Jnaneswar Express to meet his prospective bride but was detained by the RPF at Durg station in Chhattisgarh. The police had alerted the RPF, indicating that Kanojia was involved in the attack on Saif Ali Khan.

After the Mumbai police circulated his photograph, the media widely identified him as the main suspect, further damaging his reputation. Despite explaining his innocence and suggesting the authorities check CCTV footage near his house, Kanojia was detained. He was only released on January 19, after the Mumbai police arrested the actual attacker, Shariful Islam Shehzad, a Bangladeshi national.

The wrongful identification took a serious toll on Kanojia’s life. His employer terminated his contract, and his marriage proposal was called off because the bride's family was influenced by the media coverage.