Saif Ali Khan was on Wednesday night arrested for allegedly punching an NRI businessman and his relative at a restaurant in a luxury hotel here. He was immediately bailed out.
The actor and two friends were booked for allegedly assaulting Iqbal Sharma, a South African national of Indian origin, at Wasabi — a Japanese restaurant in the Taj Mahal hotel — on Tuesday night after the latter told the actor’s gang to keep the noise level down. Khan was dining with 10 friends, including girlfriend Kareena Kapoor and actor Amrita Arora.Sharma — a trade official with the South African government — told the police Khan’s table was very noisy and when he objected, the actor suggested he go to a library if he wanted silence. Sharma finally decided to change tables himself but when he was moving, Khan threatened him. "He said, ‘you don’t know who I am’. He used abusive language and when the argument furthered, he punched me on my nose," Sharma said.
“When my father-in-law tried to intervene, he punched him twice on his face and stomach,” he said. Sharma said his 68-year-old father-in-law, Raman Patel, fell to the floor. "I lifted him up but… a man accompanying Khan came running down, punched my father-in-law in the face and ran back."
{{/usCountry}}“When my father-in-law tried to intervene, he punched him twice on his face and stomach,” he said. Sharma said his 68-year-old father-in-law, Raman Patel, fell to the floor. "I lifted him up but… a man accompanying Khan came running down, punched my father-in-law in the face and ran back."
{{/usCountry}}"On Sharma's complaint, we have booked Saif and two friends under section 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the IPC," said Vinod Sawant, senior police inspector at Colaba police station.
The 41-year-old actor and his friends surrendered at the police station around 8pm. They were bailed out an hour later.
Khan said in a statement: "I was hit and I defended myself… I think the restaurant has CCTV footage, which will prove everything."