The sessions court today granted 'interim protection from arrest' to actor Om Puri, who is accused of assaulting his wife

Sessions judge D A Dholakia granted protection to the internationally acclaimed actor till August 30 and adjourned the hearing on his anticipatory bail application till the date. The court also directed him to go to the police station everyday and co-operate with the probe.

Meanwhile, Om's wife Nandita today filed an application in the court, seeking to intervene in the case. The police are likely to submit their reply to the bail plea on August 30.

According to Nandita's police complaint, the actor assaulted her with a wooden stick on August 22. The 62-year-old actor is facing charges under Indian Penal Code sections 324 (causing hurt by dangerous means), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

According to the police case, the couple was arguing about the maintenance of their flat in suburban Versova, and in the course of the heated argument, Om assaulted Nandita. But the actor has a different story to tell in his advance bail application. He says their domestic help's daughter offered rakhi to Puri's son, and Nandita gifted her a mobile phone worth Rs 3,000. However, the girl demanded a smartphone. "(I) reasoned that I too was using regular mobile and there was no question of gifting an expensive mobile worth Rs 14,000 to the girl," Om says in the application.

The actor said, Nandita then told him that he could spend huge amount of money on his "mistresses" but could not pay for this gift. As a heated argument ensued, Puri, the application says, got up to leave, but Nandita "walked upon him and caught his collar" and he had to push her off to leave the house. The application denies that he ever assaulted her.