New Delhi: A Mumbai court has given actor Malaika Arora one last chance to appear as a witness in a 2012 hotel brawl case involving Saif Ali Khan. The court warned that if she fails to attend the next hearing on July 9, a non-bailable warrant will be issued against her. This comes after Arora did not appear in court on April 29, even though a bailable warrant had already been issued. Her lawyer was present, but the court said she was intentionally avoiding legal proceedings despite knowing about the summons.
The case dates back to February 22, 2012, when Saif Ali Khan, along with Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora, and a few male friends, was dining at a five-star hotel in Mumbai. According to police, a fight broke out after NRI businessman Iqbal Mir Sharma objected to the loud conversation at their table. Saif allegedly responded with threats and punched Sharma, fracturing his nose. Sharma also claimed Saif and his friends assaulted his father-in-law, Raman Patel.
In response, Saif claimed Sharma had made offensive and abusive remarks towards the women in the group, which led to the altercation. Following the incident, Saif, along with Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi, was arrested and later charge-sheeted under Section 325 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with causing grievous hurt.
The court had first issued a bailable warrant against Malaika Arora in February and reissued it in April when she failed to appear. Despite repeated summons, her absence has caused frustration in court. The judge noted that her actions seemed deliberate. The court has now clearly stated that this is her final opportunity to attend the proceedings, or stricter legal action will be taken.
