The police said on Thursday that while there is no corroboration of Saif Ali 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 businessman, 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 the women in his group.
However, after investigating the matter, the police rubbished the actor’s version.
“We recorded the statements of 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,” said sub-inspector Dadaso Edke.
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, “Mr Sharma then called up his friend Farooque who lives in Byculla, who took him to the hospital and later to the police station.”
The officer said not a single witness had told the police that Mr Sharma 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 by this newspaper, Taj Mahal hotel officials refused to comment.