Salman's plea for putting off case rejected

Actor Salman Khan’s plea for adjourning the recording of his statement in a hit-and-run case was rejected by the Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday.

Salman is facing charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the hit-and-run case. He had requested that the Mumbai sessions court adjourn the recording of his statement, a crucial stage in the trail, for three weeks as he is required to be present at a Jodhpur court with regard to a blackbuck poaching case.

Salman is also facing charges of illegal possession and use of arms in that case.
Judge D W Deshpande had on Tuesday asked the actor to be present in the box. Salman’s lawyer Shrikant Shivade moved the application for adjournment, which special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat strongly opposed. The prosecution pointed out to the court that priority had to be given to the hit-and-run trial as it was fixed by the Mumbai sessions court before the Jodhpur court finalised its schedule.

Gharat also said the Mumbai sessions court trial was happening on a day-to-day basis and hence the proceedings should be given priority over the Jodhpur court hearing.
Judge Deshpande susbsequently rejected the plea and said Salman would have to be present on March 27. The court also rejected the application from the actor seeking recall of the first investigating officer.

The actor contended that he wanted to cross-examine the police officer regarding the omissions and contradictions made by deceased police constable Ravindra Patil, who is the complainant in the case.

However, the court observed that since the magistrate court, during the earlier trial, had not posed questions of omissions and contradictions to the witness himself, who is no more now, the investigating officer cannot be questioned about it.