Driver Akash Kanojia is demanding justice after being falsely implicated in the Jan 16 stabbing of actor Saif Ali Khan.
The 31-year-old, who was detained by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Durg station in Chhattisgarh on Jan 18, said on Tuesday that he will now stand outside Saif’s house in Mumbai to ask for a job.
After the police action against him, he was sacked by his employer, and even rejected by his prospective bride.
“I plan to stand outside Saif Ali Khan’s building and seek a job as I have lost everything because of what happened to him,” Mr Kanojia told the Press Trust of India news agency.
Kanojia was travelling from Mumbai to Bilaspur by Jnaneswar Express on Jan 17 to meet his prospective bride when he was arrested following a tip-off from Mumbai Police. However, he was released after the actual suspect, Bangladeshi national Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir alias Vijay Das, was arrested in Thane, Maharashtra, on Jan 19.
Mr Kanojia detailed how the false accusation turned his life upside down.
He told PTI: “One mistake of the Mumbai police ruined my life. They failed to notice I had a moustache and the person in the CCTV (footage) from the actor’s building did not.
“My family was left in tears after media outlets started showing my pictures, claiming I was the main suspect.”
Slamming the police for their misstep, he added: “I have two cases against my name in Cuffe Parade and Gurgaon. But it doesn’t mean I can be pulled up as a suspect in such a manner and then be left in the lurch.”
Saif, 54, was reportedly stabbed multiple times during a robbery attempt at his residence. The actor underwent surgery and has since been discharged.
Mr Kanojia said that, since news of his arrest went viral, his employer has “refused to let me return to work and didn’t even listen to my explanation”.
He added that his prospective bride’s family also called off the marriage talks.
