Mumbai: Bollywood actor Salman Khan was on Tuesday asked by a session court to appear before it on March 27 for recording his statement on prosecution evidence in the 2002 hit-and-run case, in which he is charged with killing one and injuring four others by ramming his car into a shop.
Khan's statement would be recorded under section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that allows the accused to tell the court his/her side of the story at the fag end of the trial.
The judge would also get an opportunity to question the accused on certain aspects of the trial, while the latter will get a chance to present his defence on evidence put up by prosecution before the court, said prosecutor Pradeep Gharat. Judge DW Deshpande passed the orders to this effect after consulting the prosecutor and defence lawyer Shrikant Shivade.
About 25 witnesses have already given evidence in this case. Investigation officer Kishan Shengal is currently deposing before the court. The court is yet to pass an order on an application moved by defence lawyer seeking to recall another investigating officer Rajendra Kadam. However, the prosecution has opposed the plea.
Khan did not come to the court today. His sister Alvira was present. Salman was arrested after his car had rammed into a bakery shop in suburban Bandra in the wee hours of September 28, 2002. The five injured were taken to a nearby municipal hospital, where one of them was declared dead.
A fresh trial is being conducted after the charge of culpable homicide, which provides for imprisonment of up to ten years, was invoked. Earlier, the trial was being conducted by a magistrate, who had charged the actor with rash and negligent driving, which attracts only two years' jail term.
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