Mumbai, Jun 19: In a reprieve to actor Saif Ali Khan, who is an accused in a three-year-old hotel brawl case, a court in Mumbai sent the matter for mediation on Thursday.
Saif and his two friends Bilal Amrohi and Shakeel Ladak, have been accused by NRI businessman Iqbal Sharma of assault following an argument at the Wasabi restaurant at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai in 2012.
Saif's lawyer Girish Kulkarni said in a statement: "It is a compoundable aspect under Section 325, mediation is permissible with the permission of the court. That is why the court suggested it. Saif is ready, the public prosecutor has suggested the same to Iqbal."
The mediation between Saif and Sharma has been scheduled on July 27.
If both the parties reach a consensus, the case against Saif would subsequently be set aside.
However, if they fail to arrive at a settlement then the court would give a date for trial.
Saif had been issued several summons by the court to make appearance with regard to the case. However, the actor remained absent owing to his busy shooting schedule. Saif would have faced arrest had he not turned up in court on Thursday. Interestingly, the complainant Sharma was not present in court.
The incident had occurred on February 22, 2012 when Saif was having dinner with his then fiancée (now wife) Kareena Kapoor, her sister Karishma Kapoor, Malika Arora-Khan, Amrita Arora, Amrohi, Ladak and others.
Sharma had objected to the 'noise' made by Saif and others and his objections had irked the actor. Later, the duo was involved in the brawl.
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