Mumbai, Feb 22: Bollywood star 'Agent Vinod' Saif Ali Khan yelled at Iqbal Mir Sharma, the NRI businessman from South Africa on tuesday night at the restaurant in Taj : "If you want peace, go to a library".
Kareena Kapoor, sister Karisma Kapoor, Amrita Arora and other guests watched as Saif yelled at the man.
According to Sharma, when he and his father-in-law were going downstairs to shift to some other table, Saif and three of his friends confronted them, and then Saif delivered the punch, breaking the bridge of Iqbal's nose. His father-in-law was also bashed up.
Iqbal Mir Sharma told India TV and other news channels, he did not directly object to the noise that was going on.
"I ask the hotel staff, particularly the restaurant manager, to go and request Saif and his party to tone down the noise. He went there with the request twice or thice, but they ignored. You can't say, it wa provocation on my part."
Says Iqbal Mir Sharma: 'Let the law take its own course. There's no question of a compromise. A senior citizen (my father-in-law) was also beaten."
Iqbal said, after Saif's blow, he rang up 100 to call the police several times, but the Mumbai Police, true to its nature, disconnected his calls. It was then, that he decided to visit the Kolaba police station.
Sec 325 IPC is bailable, and it relates to punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
The section reads: "Whoever, except in the case provided for by section 335, voluntarily causes grievous hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine."
Punishment—Imprisonment for 7 years, and fine—Cognizable—Bailable—Triable by any Magistrate—Compoundable by the person to whom hurt is caused with the permission of the court.
It will be a bit difficult for Saif to get out easily from this assault incident since there were other onlookers in the hotel and CCTV cameras caught this incident.
Sharma said he was having dinner with his family members in Wasabi restaurant in Colaba on Tuesday night, while Saif and his friends were sitting next to their table.
Sharma stated that he had objected to the loud conversation by Khan and his friends.
When Sharma complained to Saif about the noise, the actor allegedly told him to go to the library if he wanted peace.
Later, the actor and his friends got enraged and following a heated argument, attacked him.
The actor and two of his friends have been booked under Sec 325 IPC.
Mumbai Police on Wednesday went to Andheri, Khar and Bandra in search of Saif, but he had gone underground.
Another report said, Kareena looked upset this morning at the sets of Bhandarkar's Heroine.
Kareena left the sets and sat inside the vanity van for quite a long time.
This is not the first case of assault against Saif. In 2008, a case was filed against him for allegedly assaulting a photojournalist in Patiala during a film shoot.
