Air India pilot assaulted by ex-colleague, four bodyguards over loan dispute

An Air India pilot from Versova was allegedly assaulted by a former colleague and his four bodyguards when he went to collect ₹5 lakh he had lent to him.

MUMBAI: A 55-year-old Air India pilot from Versova was allegedly assaulted by a former colleague and his four bodyguards when he went to collect ₹5 lakh he had lent to him last year.

The police have registered a case against the accused under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. (Representational/HT Photo)

The complainant, Kapil Kohal, had known the accused, Deven Kanani, 55, since 1995, when both were undergoing training at Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. While Kohal continued with Air India, Kanani later lost his job.

According to the police, Kanani borrowed ₹5 lakh from him in November 2024, promising to repay it within a month, for which Kohal told him he could return the money whenever convenient. Earlier this month, when Kohal asked for repayment, Kanani initially claimed he had no money, but on Saturday, he called Kohal to his residence on New Link Road in Goregaon West, saying he could come and collect the money.

“When Kohal arrived, he noticed four bodyguards in the passage but assumed they belonged to another resident. As soon as he entered Kanani’s flat, the bodyguards followed him,” said a police officer. He added that when the bodyguards entered the flat, Kohal was suspicious and informed his son about the meeting, instructing him to reach the spot if he did not call back within 15 minutes. The bodyguards then started to assault him and when Kohal failed to respond, his son arrived with the police and rescued him from the apartment.