Saif Ali Khan arrested, granted bail

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, who was arrested for assaulting NRI businessman Iqbal Sharma and his father-in-law, has been granted bail. The actor was taken into custody at Nariman Point and was brought in through the back entrance of the Colaba police station in order to avoid media glare. Under sector 325 of the IPC, Saif was entitled to apply for a bail and his presence at the police station was just to formalise the investigative procedure with subsequent furnishing of surety. An FIR was registered against Saif and his friends under sections 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intent) of IPC. "His (Saif`s) arrest is inevitable as it is a cognizable offence, but it is bailable," Assistant Commisssioner of Police Iqbal Shaikh had earlier said, adding the actor can be enlarged on bail by the police and will not have to approach the court for it. "The section under which he has been booked is bailable. He has to come with a surety and if we find that the surety is a sound surety, we will grant him bail," the ACP had said earlier. The incident, according to the complaint registered with the Colaba police station, occurred just past midnight when the 41-year-old actor, along with his actress girlfriend Kareena Kapoor and other friends, was having dinner at Wasabi restaurant at Taj Hotel. According to complainant Iqbal Sharma, a South African businessman of Indian origin, Saif and those accompanying him were talking loudly while seated at an adjacent table. When Sharma walked up to them and objected to their talking loudly, an argument ensued leading to a fracas during which he was assaulted by Saif, leaving him with a bleeding and fractured nose. Shaikh said that the complainant went to the G T Hospital following the incident and then reported the matter to the police around 2.30 Wednesday morning. On whether Saif had himself assaulted the complainant, Shaikh had said, "This is what the complainant has said. We are in the process of recording the statements of independent witnesses." Shaikh said the statements of eight witnesses have been recorded and footage of the CCTV cameras was being scanned as part of the ongoing investigation. (With inputs from PTI)