A Pietermaritzburg-born doctor and professional bodybuilder appeared in a Polokwane court this week on charges of assaulting his second wife – after being convicted of abusing his first wife four years ago, reports News24.
Dr Aadil Khan was arrested on 27 March when his current wife opened a case of domestic violence. She said she was relieved when he was denied bail as she was terrified of him.
Khan was serving an 18-month sentence of correctional supervision, including house arrest, after he entered into a plea agreement with the state for a 2025 conviction involving his first wife, Melissa Lea Symonds, when the fresh allegations surfaced.
He has spent most of his six weeks of detention under medical supervision in a private hospital.
His first wife is now set to testify against him as a state witness.
Khan had previously said he was raised in a home “shaped by strong Islamic values that emphasised discipline, respect and responsibility”, but in court documents, his ex-wife, whom he abused in 2022, described a violent man who caused her to live in a state of constant fear and anxiety.
His current wife, who asked not to be named, previously said in a report that while her husband had a temper, he worked “diligently” to manage it.
In the court documents of the case, Khan pleaded guilty to three counts of assault. The incidents occurred in March 2022 in Durban, when he beat her, dragged her by the hair and smashed her arm with a plate.
She reported that the assaults had a profound impact on her, and that during the relationship, she endured continuous emotional and verbal abuse. She said the physical violence escalated over time and that “anything could trigger an outburst”.
She added that her child witnessed some of these altercations, while her parents described Khan as a “violent, aggressive and manipulative individual” who left their daughter with lasting emotional scars.
Khan had expressed remorse, saying he previously had post-traumatic stress disorder after being shot 10 times in an assassination attempt in November 2022, which required extensive abdominal surgery.
Symonds said she didn’t believe he could be rehabilitated and has accused the justice system of failing victims of violence and abuse.
Khan is due back in court on 25 May.
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