Court orders Saif Ali Khan to remain present during next hearing in NRI assault case

Actors involved in legal cases are notorious for seeking multiple exemptions from personal appearance and Saif Ali Khan is no different. The actor who was supposed to remain present in court today for the hearing in NRI Iqbal Sharma's assault case yet again through his lawyers sought an exemption which prompted the Magistrate to give him one final chance to depose in person on the next hearing.

The case pertains to a scuffle that broke out between NRI Iqbal Sharma and Saif Ali Khan and it was alleged that the actor assaulted Iqbal and his father-in-law while they were dining at Taj Hotel in 2012. The Mumbai police have already framed charges against Saif under Section 325 of IPC.

When Saif's lawyers filed an exemption application today, the same was objected to by Iqbal who stated that he has flown down all the way from South Africa for the case. Meanwhile, Saif's lawyers said that he is under a contract to shoot an advertisement for Procter and Gamble due to which he couldn't be present. Reportedly the prosecution pressed for an arrest warrant to be issued as out of 10 hearing Saif has been present only for three of them.

After hearing both parties, the court adjourned the matter to 18th June and directed  Saif Ali Khan to remain present in person on that day.