A metropolitan magistrate court in Mumbai issued summons to the South African businessman and his father-in-law who were allegedly assaulted by Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan in a local hotel in 2012.
“The court has issued summons to the police to serve on witnesses so that they can depose,” said Public Prosecutor Wajid Sheikh.
Meanwhile Esplanade magistrate M S Bhodankar allowed the exemption applications of Mr. Khan and his friend Bilal Amrohi in the case.
Mr. Sheikh had sought bailable warrants against the two accused for their frequent non-appearance.
“Though the court did not issue any warrant, it directed their advocates to keep the accused present before the court on the next date of hearing,” Mr. Sheikh said.
Another accused Shakeel Ladak was present in the court.
The court had on March 13 framed charges against Mr. Khan and his two friends under Sections 325 (assault) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. They had pleaded innocence.
The trio was arrested following a complaint filed by businessman Iqbal Mir Sharma after an alleged fight at a restaurant inside Taj Hotel on February 22, 2012. They were later released on bail.
Mr. Khan 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.
According to police, when Sharma protested the raucous chatter of the actor and his friends,
Mr. Khan allegedly threatened them and subsequently punched Mr. Sharma in the nose, fracturing it. The NRI businessman also accused Mr. Khan and his friends of hitting his father-in-law Raman Patel.
Mr. Khan had claimed that Mr. Sharma made provocative statements and used abusive language against the women accompanying him, which led to the ruckus.
The police had filed the charge-sheet on December 21.
