Court orders fresh trial in 2002 hit-and-run case against Salman

Following legal procedure,Sessions Judge D W Deshpande had asked during the last hearing whether evidence should be re-recorded or if the same evidence should be brought on record. The prosecution said recording the statements again would cause further delay,but Khan’s lawyer Shrikant Shivde opposed it citing the law. The court then ordered a fresh trial on Thursday and adjourned hearing till December 23.

Khan’s counsel Shivde said,“The Code of Criminal Procedure is clear on this aspect. As Khan was earlier tried for lesser charges,that too before a Magistrate court,once the case is committed to the Sessions court,the trial has to be conducted as per the procedure of a Sessions court.”

The case dates back to September 28,2002 when Khan drove his Toyota Land Cruiser into a bakery in Bandra killing one and injuring four people sleeping on the pavement. The Magistrate court has already recorded statements of a few witnesses,including Khan’s bodyguard Ravindra Patil,who claimed to have warned Khan against rash driving.