Court re-issues warrant against Malaika Arora over absence in Saif Ali Khan hotel brawl case

A Mumbai court has re-issued a bailable warrant against actress Malaika Arora in 2012 hotel brawl case involving Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan

Failure to appear before court as witness
According to PTI, the warrant was issued after Malaika failed to appear before the court as a witness in the ongoing trial. The incident dates back to February 22, 2012, when Saif and a group of friends were dining at a five-star hotel in Mumbai.

What was the case about?
The altercation reportedly began when Iqbal Mir Sharma, a South African businessman of Indian origin, objected to the loud conversation at the actor’s table. According to the complaint, Saif responded aggressively, allegedly threatening Sharma before punching him in the nose, resulting in a fracture. Sharma also accused Saif and his associates of assaulting his father-in-law, Raman Patel.
At the time of the incident, Saif was accompanied by his then-girlfriend and now wife Kareena Kapoor Khan, her sister Karisma Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora, and other friends. Malaika was among those present at the table when the alleged brawl broke out and is considered a key witness in the case.
Initially issued a bailable warrant against Malaika Arora
Chief Judicial Magistrate K S Zanwar is currently overseeing the testimony of witnesses. The court had initially issued a bailable warrant against Malaika Arora on February 15 after her absence. As she again failed to appear, the warrant was re-issued on Monday. The next hearing is scheduled for April 29.
Saif Ali Khan, along with his co-accused Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi, was arrested shortly after the incident but was released on bail. All three have been charge-sheeted under Section 325 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
Saif Ali Khan’s explanation
Reportedly, Saif has maintained that Sharma used provocative and abusive language against the women in his group, which led to the altercation.