Hit-and-run case: Salman Khan denies driving car, having drinks

[related-post]

Khan, who was asked a total of 419 questions, also said it was a “false case” against him, adding that one of the witnesses in the trial, the chemical analyst expert, “is not an expert and he did not do any procedure with the blood samples”. He stated that his blood samples were taken twice, once at Bhabha Hospital in Bandra and then at J J Hospital. He said the statement regarding his blood samples revealing alcohol above permissible limits for driving was false.

The actor sought that the defence witnesses be examined, which will begin on Monday.

“Ashok Singh was driving the car,” said Khan, referring to his driver. He said Singh called the police after the accident. “I instructed the driver to inform the police. I remained at the spot for 15 minutes or more,” he told the court, adding that the police did not record the driver’s statement. One of the witnesses, who was his neighbour and lived near the accident spot, asked him to leave the spot as it would be easier to help people in his absence, the actor said.

Wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and floaters, Khan reached the Mumbai Sessions Court at 11 am to record his statement on the sequence of events pertaining to the case. His deposition began 30 minutes later. His sisters Alvira and Arpita and personal bodyguard were also present in court.

To questions on whether the car was at a speed of 90-100 kms per hour and on whether his bodyguard Ravindra Patil had asked him to slow down around the Hill Road turning, Khan said these statements were false.

He also denied running away from the spot, while conceding that the people were aggresive. “I got out with great difficulty. It took time to come out. My driver Ashok and two others got off and I got off from the driver’s side as the left door was jammed.”

In the wee hours of September 28, 2002, Salman’s white Toyota Land Cruiser rammed into a store in suburban Bandra, not far from his sea-front home in Galaxy Apartments. The man who died and four who were injured had been asleep on the pavement outside the store.
Asked if he knew that a person had been run over on the footpath, he said he heard about it later.

The night of the incident, Khan said, he and Kamal Khan had been to Rain Bar where they met his brother Sohail Khan and Vikram Phadnis. After that, Khan left for J W Marriott Hotel.

One of the witnesses had alleged that Khan was so drunk that he couldn’t stand straight and kept falling. Khan said this was not true. He said that he, in fact, had been drinking water at the bar. The parking attendant at J W Marriott had said earlier that he had seen Salman get into the driver’s seat when he was leaving. Stating that he did get into the driver’s seat briefly, the actor said he was waiting for his driver Ashok to come as his other driver Altaf had left. “When the driver came, I moved to the left-hand side,” he said.

Khan said the statement that he had not been issued a driver’s licence before 2004 was false. He, however, accepted that he had not been issued a licence to consume alcohol by the excise department. “I didn’t take permission as I did not know. I thought after 21 you can drink. I did not have a permit at that time but do have one now,” he added.

On the question pertaining to Patil being an eyewitness to the accident, Khan said this was false as the bodyguard had been asleep in the car.

ruhi.bhasin@expressindia.com