Hotel fight: Statements recorded by police fail to back Saif's version

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The statements recorded by the police from two Wasabi restaurant’s waiters and the manager have nailed actor Saif Ali Khan.

Officials said while there is no corroboration to Khan's version that the complainant had misbehaved with women accompanying the actor, statements given by the hotel staff corroborate what the complainant says.

Khan on Wednesday was arrested after Iqbal Sharma, a South Africa-based NRI, lodged a complaint against him for assault.

Khan later admitted having punched Mr. Sharma when the latter had requested them to lower the noise they were making.

Khan had also claimed Mr. Sharma had tried to misbehave with women in his group.

However, after investigating the matter police have rubbished the actor’s version.

"We recorded statements from Hemang Parmar, the restaurant manager, and two waiters, Rakesh and D’Mello. All three have said exactly what Mr. Sharma had told us in his complaint,” sub-inspector Dadaso Edke said.

Mr. Edke said the waiters confirmed that Mr. Sharma had asked them to go to Khan’s table and ask them not to be too loud.

“The waiters told us that Khan got agitated at the request and went up to Mr. Sharma and punched him, and a friend of Khan’s hit Mr. Sharma’s father-in-law Ramanbhai Patel,” said Mr. Edke, adding, 'Sharma then called up friend Farooque who lives in Byculla, who took him to the hospital and later to the police station.”

The officer said there was not a single eyewitness account to prove Mr. Sharma had misbehaved with anybody.

“Khan will have to prove his version in court, but the complainant’s version has emerged undisputed so far,” he said.

When contacted, Taj Mahal hotel officials refused to comment.