A Mumbai court has re-issued a bailable warrant against actor Malaika Arora after she failed to appear as a witness in the case. This is the second such warrant issued against Malaika in the case. The case dates back to 2012 when an NRI businessman had accused Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan of hitting him in the nose at a five-star hotel in Mumbai.
The court first issued a bailable warrant against Arora on February 15. It was re-issued on Monday as the actress failed to turn up before the court. As the actress failed to appear again, the court reissued the bailable warrant of Rs 5,000, and sought a warrant report to be submitted by April 29. The testimony of witnesses in the case was recorded in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Esplanade court) K S Zanwar.
What happened in 2012?
Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan along with few of his friends and family member had gone for dinner at a hotel in Mumbai’s Colaba area on February 22, 2012 when Khan allegedly got into a scuffle with another customer at the restaurant.
Bollywood actors Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora and some friends of the actors were also present at the hotel when the brawl broke out.
According to Mumbai Police, on February 22, 2012, a South African national and NRI named Iqbal Mir Sharma, filed a complaint at Colaba Police Station against Saif Ali Khan, Amrita’s husband, Shakil Ladakh, and their friend, Bilal Amrohi. The complainant had alleged that Saif Ali Khan had punched his nose, leading to a fracture. The NRI businessman also accused Saif and his friends of hitting his father-in-law Raman Patel.
Charges against Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan and two other accused were arrested following a complaint filed by the businessman – Iqbal Mir Sharma. The three were later released on bail.
Saif, on the other hand, claimed that Sharma made provocative statements and used abusive language against the women accompanying him, which led to the ruckus. Saif and his two friends – Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi – have been charge-sheeted under section 325 (assault) of the Indian Penal Code.
The trial in the case has begun, with three witnesses having deposed so far. Next hearing for the case is on April 29.
