Trial of assault case against Saif Ali Khan likely to start in November

Mumbai: A local court today completed its pre-trial formalities in the 2012 assault case registered against Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, paving the way to start the trial against him and two others.

"The (metropolitan) court today gave a copy of the CCTV footage of the assault incident to the accused after their lawyers had made an application. The first witness is likely to depose in November," public prosecutor Wajid Sheikh said.

Khan and his two friends had been arrested following a complaint filed by businessman Iqbal Mir Sharma after an alleged fight at the Wasabi Restaurant inside Taj Hotel in Colaba on February 22, 2012. Later, they were released on bail.

On March 13, the court had framed charges against the trio under sections 325 (assault) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. However, they had pleaded innocent.

Saif was accompanied by his wife and actor Kareena Kapoor, her sister Karishma Kapoor, Malaika Arora Khan, Amrita Arora and some male friends at the time of the incident.

According to police, when Sharma protested the raucous chatter of the actor and his friends, Saif allegedly threatened them and subsequently punched Sharma in the nose, fracturing it.

The NRI businessman also accused Saif and his friends of hitting his father-in-law Raman Patel.

Saif on the other hand said that Sharma made provocative statements and used abusive language against the women accompanying him, which led to the ruckus.

Police had filed the charge sheet on December 21, 2012.