It has been over 50 hours since the horrific attack at Saif Ali Khan’s posh Bandra West residence left the actor wounded with six brutal stabs all over his body. The potentially life-threatening incident has since sparked nationwide concern and an intense manhunt. After relentless investigation, Mumbai Police finally zeroed in on the suspect, who was arrested from Chhattisgarh’s Durg district on Saturday.
Since the early hours of January 16, 2025, the suspect has been captured in multiple CCTV footage across the city. After a series of interrogations of potential suspects, the perpetrator has been identified as Aakash Kailash Kannojia, a 31-year-old male. On January 18, 2025, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Durg railway station identified him. Acting on a tip-off from Mumbai Police, RPF officials intercepted Kannojia on the Jnaneswari Express train.
Earlier today, DG RPF, Manoj Yadav described the ordeal to CNN-News18 which seems which seems straight out of a dramatic police chase scene shown on television. Describing how the suspect’s location was being constantly tracked, Manoj said:
“Mumbai police were monitoring his location and they forwarded it to us. Our team in civil clothes identified him and arrested him. We shared his photo with Mumbai Police and they confirmed to us that he is the same person who stabbed Saif Ali Khan."
In another interview, Durg’s RPF Durg in-charge, Sanjeev Sinha described to ANI how they tracked down the attacker based on the leads of Mumbai Police. He was quoted as saying:
"We got information from Mumbai Police that a suspect is travelling by Jnaneswari Express train. They shared his photo and tower location. On that basis, we checked the general coach and found him. Mumbai Police officials were contacted through video call and the suspect's identity was confirmed. He has been detained. Further interrogation of the suspect will be done by Mumbai Police."
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CCTV footage played a pivotal role in tracking down the attacker, who was first seen fleeing the scene, and later captured in different clothes, buying headphones at a store in Dadar. His shifting outfits and quick movements across Mumbai railway stations further complicated the investigation but also provided crucial leads.
Jeh's nanny, Eliyama Philips, who was the first to confront the intruder, described him as a slim man with a dark complexion, appearing to be in his late thirties and approximately 5 feet 5 inches tall. On January 17, the police brought in a carpenter whose features resembled the attacker based on CCTV footage collected from Saif’s apartment building. However, after being found unrelated to the case, he was released.
Initial reports suggested burglary as the motive behind the attack. However, the suspect’s erratic behaviour, from arranging footwear days before the incident and changing his outfits multiple times after the attack — has raised questions about his mental state and the possibility of a deeper conspiracy. Meanwhile, Saif Ali Khan continues to recover at Lilavati Hospital, where doctors have reported steady progress. The actor has been shifted out of the ICU and is expected to be discharged in a few days.
What do you think of the dramatic police chase?
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