No chargesheet yet in Saif brawl

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Even though the police has completed its investigation in the Saif Ali Khan bar brawl case around a fortnight ago, the officers are yet to file the chargesheet as other pressing issues have kept them occupied.

The investigating officer said that first the senior inspector went on leave, then they were busy with the Holi bandobast and now President Pratibha Patil is coming on a three-day visit to Mumbai. He added that they would file the chargesheet as soon as the President’s visit is over.

Mr Khan was arrested, but later released on bail on February 22, after a South Africa-based NRI businessman lodged a complaint that he was beaten up by Mr Khan and his friends at Wasabi, an eatery in Hotel Taj, after he asked them not to make noise. The Colaba police had thereafter recorded the statements of the eyewitnesses and also collected the CCTV footage of the cameras installed at the entrance and exit of the hotel.

“Our investigations were over a few days after the incident as there was not much evidence to be gathered and statements of everybody concerned were also recorded. We would have filed the chargesheet a fortnight ago, but then we were held up with one or the other issue,” said an officer from Colaba police station.

According to the officer, the senior police inspector of the police station went on leave for some days and therefore they had to hold the issue. “Once he returned, we had three more cases in hand in which the chargesheet had to be filed, so we thought to file all the chargesheets together. But then we got busy with the Holi bandobast,” he said.

The officer said that senior officers from the Zone would again be occupied with Ms Patil’s three-day visit beginning Monday.

“We will be filing the chargesheet positively by Saturday as we need 2-3 days to complete all formalities,” said sub-inspector Dadaso Edke from Colaba police station.