'NRI Hit Saif Ali Khan, Barged In And Hurled Abuses': Amrita Arora Testifies In 2012 Hotel Assault Case
Actress Amrita Arora Ladak testified in court about the brawl at the Taj hotel involving Saif Ali Khan and an NRI businessman, stating the businessman misbehaved and threatened the group.
Actress Amrita Arora Ladak appeared before the metropolitan magistrate court on Saturday, March 29, to testify regarding the altercation at the Taj Hotel involving Saif Ali Khan and an NRI businessman back in 2012. According to her statement, the businessman initiated this confrontation at the five-star hotel, behaving inappropriately and even issuing threats to the group before the situation escalated. For the uninitiated, Saif Ali Khan was accused of assaulting NRI businessman Iqbal Sharma at Taj.
Amrita Arora, who was with Saif Ali Khan and their friends that night, shared her side of the story in court. She recalled that they were peacefully enjoying their dinner in a private section of the restaurant when Sharma suddenly stormed in, yelling at them.
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Amrita Arora recalled that Sharma approached them aggressively, ordering them to “shut up and keep quiet." She said the group was shocked by his behavior, but Saif Ali Khan immediately stood up and apologised, trying to diffuse the situation. Sharma then walked away, and the group went back to enjoying their dinner.
“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.
A little while later, Saif Ali Khan stepped away to use the washroom. Moments later, raised voices echoed through the restaurant. Before the group could react, Sharma stormed back in and allegedly hit Khan. Amrita Arora recalled that they rushed to separate them, but Sharma kept hurling abuses and making threats.
The incident dates back to February 22, 2012, when Saif Ali Khan was dining at an upscale restaurant in South Mumbai with Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora, and a few friends. Meanwhile, Sharma and his family were seated at a nearby table.
As per the police, Sharma was irritated by the loud chatter from Saif Ali Khan’s group and asked them to lower their voices, which escalated into an argument. Sharma later claimed that Khan punched him in the nose, causing a fracture, and also alleged that Khan and his friends assaulted his father-in-law, Raman Patel.
However, Saif Ali Khan has consistently defended himself, stating that Sharma provoked the altercation by using abusive language toward the women in their group. Following the incident, Khan, along with his friends Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi, was arrested but later released on bail. They have since been charge-sheeted under Section 325 (assault) of the Indian Penal Code.
After multiple summons, Amrita Arora finally appeared in court, but not before a bailable warrant of Rs 5,000 was issued against her and her sister, Malaika Arora, for repeatedly skipping hearings.
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