According to police, when a businessman protested the raucous chatter of the actor and his friends, Khan allegedly threatened him and subsequently punched him in the nose, fracturing it. The businessman also accused Khan and his friends of hitting his father-in-law
Saif Ali Khan and his two friends have been charge-sheeted under Section 325 (assault). File pic
Bollywood actor Amrita Arora Ladak appeared as a witness in a Mumbai court on Saturday in the hotel brawl case against Saif Ali Khan, news agency PTI reported. Khan is accused of assaulting a businessman and his father-in-law at a five-star hotel in 2012.
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Ladak was part of the group dining with Khan at the hotel when the alleged incident occurred 13 years ago on February 22.
She told the court that the hotel had provided them with a separate enclosure, where they were enjoying their meal. During this time, the complainant entered the area, began shouting, and abusing them, PTI reported.
"We saw someone barging into our enclosure and, in a very loud, aggressive voice, told us to shut up and keep quiet. We all got shocked at what was happening," she said, adding that Khan immediately stood up and apologised.
According to PTI, Ladak further informed that the man then left, and they resumed their dinner.
However, after a while, when Khan excused himself to go to the washroom, the group heard loud voices.
Hotel brawl case against Saif Ali Khan: Actor says businessman had hurled abuses
Shortly thereafter, they saw the man re-enter their enclosure and strike Khan, she testified.
Those present there intervened and separated Khan and the complainant, at which point the man began abusing them and threatening them with "dire consequences," she added.
At the time of the incident, Khan was accompanied by actor Kareena Kapoor — whom he later married — her sister Karishma, Ladak, her sister Malaika Arora, and a few male friends. Later, it was established that the man with whom the altercation broke out was a businessman named Iqbal Sharma, PTI reported.
According to the police, when Sharma objected to the loud chatter of the group, Khan allegedly threatened him first and later punched him in the nose, causing a fracture.
The businessman also claimed that Khan and his friends assaulted his father-in-law, Raman Patel.
However, Khan has maintained that Sharma provoked the situation by making abusive remarks about the women in the group, which led to the altercation.
Khan, along with his two friends—Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi—has been named in the charge sheet under Section 325 (assault) of the Indian Penal Code.
(With PTI inputs)
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