JOIN USWhile Salman Khan’s defence counsel may have vehemently questioned the evidence of police constable Ravindra Patil, the late bodyguard of the actor, the Mumbai Sessions Court has found his testimony trustworthy and relevant while sentencing the actor in a 13-year-old drunken-driving and hit-and-run case.
Patil is the main complainant in the case and the FIR was registered by the Bandra police station on his statement. He died of TB in 2007.
His statement was recorded in the Magistrate’s court in Bandra.
When the case was committed to the Mumbai Sessions Court, defence counsel Shrikant Shivade contested the testimony of Patil saying that he could not be cross-examined at this stage, however, special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat had stated that the evidence was maintainable under Indian Evidence Act.
“But in my opinion, the evidence of Ravindra Patil is complete evidence. The facts deposed by him would not be changed, even the charge under section 304 Part II of the IPC is framed,” additional sessions judge D W Deshpande has said in his verdict.
“So after considering all the submissions of Gharat and Shivade, after considering the provisions of section 33 of the Indian Evidence Act and also having regard to the nature of the facts pertaining to the incident stated by complainant Ravindra Patil and also the opportunity availed by the defence fully to cross-examine, I find that this is the perfect case wherein evidence of Ravindra Patil would be relevant and admissible under section33 of the Indian Evidence Act in case in hand,” the judge had noted in his order.
DH News Service