Warrant against Malaika Arora after she skips court in 2012 brawl case

A Mumbai court issued a bailable warrant on March 15 against Malaika Arora and her sister Amrita for failing to appear. While Amrita appeared on March 29, Malaika did not, prompting a fresh warrant

A Mumbai magistrate court has reissued a bailable warrant against actor Malaika Arora, who is a prosecution witness in the 2012 hotel brawl case involving actor Saif Ali Khan and two others. Arora had previously been summoned to testify but did not attend the hearing. 

The court had initially issued a bailable warrant on March 15 after Arora and her sister, Amrita Arora Ladak, failed to appear. While Amrita gave her testimony on March 29, Malaika remained absent. Due to her continued non-appearance, the court reissued the ₹5,000 bailable warrant and directed that a warrant report be filed by April 29. 

The case dates back to 2012, when Khan, Arora, and others were dining at a luxury hotel in South Mumbai. A dispute reportedly broke out with another guest, leading to a physical altercation.

 

The case of hotel brawl

On February 22, 2012, Saif Ali Khan was embroiled in a physical altercation at the Wasabi restaurant in Mumbai's Taj Hotel. The incident involved South African businessman Iqbal Mir Sharma and his father-in-law Raman Patel, leading to charges of assault against Khan and his friends Shakeel Ladak and Bilal Amrohi. 

The dispute reportedly began when Sharma objected to the loud chatter from Khan’s group, which included actors Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Malaika Arora, and Amrita Arora. Sharma allegedly approached the group, asking them to quiet down. According to Sharma, Saif threatened him and punched him in the nose, fracturing it. He also accused Khan’s friends of assaulting his father-in-law. 

Khan maintained that Sharma made provocative and abusive remarks towards the women in his group, which led to the confrontation. Witnesses like Amrita Arora later testified that Sharma barged into their private enclosure and behaved aggressively. Saif claimed he acted in self-defense after being hit first. 

Following the incident, Khan was arrested but released on bail after paying ₹15,000. The police filed charges under Sections 325 (assault) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code in December 2012. However, the absence of CCTV footage complicated the investigation. 

The case has seen prolonged legal proceedings, with charges formally framed in 2014. As of March 2025, court hearings continue, with witnesses testifying and Khan pleading innocence.

 

[With agency inputs]