Salman Khan's statement to be recorded from Mar 23

The Mumbai sessions court would start recording the statement of actor Salman Khan, an accused in a 2002 hit-and-run case, from March 23.

The statement would be recorded before Additional Sessions Judge D W Deshpande, who is conducting the re-trial of the September 28, 2002 accident at Bandra’s Hill Road – which was transferred to the sessions court from the magistrate’s court.

Khan, who was under the influence of alcohol, is accused to have dashed his white-colour Toyata Land Cruiser at the American Express bakery and immediately fled the spot. The 49-year-old actor faces a maximum jail term of 10 years, if convicted, under the graver charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

“I propose to record Salman Khan’s statement for two days from March 23,” Judge Deshpande said on Friday. He added that by that time the statement of witnesses needs to be heard. The actor was present in the court when Judge Deshpande announced the date of his recording of statement.

The statement would be recorded under section 313 of the CrPC, which allows the accused to present his or her side of the story.

So far, two dozen witnesses have deposed and their statements have been recorded. While Pradeep Gharat is the Special Public Prosecutor, Shrikant Shivade is the defence lawyer.
On Friday, the cross-examination of Rajendra Kadam, one of the IOs in the case, was over. He was among the first to reach the spot.

Meanwhile, another officer Kishan Shengal, who is a witness, told the court that Khan was arrested from a lawyer's house, where they reached based on a tip-off.

“After registering FIR, I went to Khan’s house (Galaxy Apartments at Bandra) but did not find him there. I also went to the gym behind his house and searched his garages but could not find him. I then informed my seniors accordingly,” the officer said while replying to Gharat.

The officer further said that at about 9 am on September 28, 2002, he received a tip-off about Khan. “I got information that the accused is likely to visit a lawyer’s house in Almeida Park in Bandra West,” he said.

Since the police team did not know the address of the lawyer, it searched the place for nearly two hours. “When we went to the advocate’s house, we found him there and brought him to Bandra police station. He was arrested thereafter,” Shengal said.