Salman Khan has a problem: ‘he has no driving licence’

The latest twist in the investigation came minutes after Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Ahmed Javed told reporters that the police were seeking to suspend Khan’s driving licence. However, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Bandra Division) Subhash Jadhav told The Indian Express that Khan didn’t even have a licence.

‘‘Where does the question of suspending his licence arise? The RTA (Regional Transport Authority) can suspend or cancel his driving licence only if he has one. The man does not have a licence.’’

Javed, who was tasked to head the probe by Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, later confirmed the development. ‘‘On the day of his arrest, Salman told us he had misplaced his licence. So we have applied provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without a licence. And until now, he has failed to produce his licence,’’ he said.

Khan’s advocate, Waris Pathan, told The Indian Express, ‘‘I don’t want to say anything at this point but Khan has already told the police that he wasn’t driving the car.’’

The 37-year-old actor had taken driving lessons from a private motor training school in suburban Bandra when he was 17. He wasn’t granted a licence at that time since he was a minor, and since then, he hasn’t worked towards acquiring one, sources said.

The Mumbai police continued their investigations, with Joint CP Javed inspecting the spot of the accident at American Express Bakery on Hill Road in suburban Bandra today afternoon. But the police still haven’t questioned Khan’s cousin Kamaal Khan and his security guard Ravindra Patil who were in the Toyota Landcruiser when it rammed into the five sleeping pavement dwellers.

Two other associates of the actor were also in the car, but they got off before he reached Bandra.

Three eye-witnesses were summoned by the Deputy Commissioner today, and Ahmed personally recorded their statements.

He then visited two of the victims—22-year-old Abdullah Abdul Shaikh and 17-year-old Muslin Niyamat—at Bhabha Hospital in Bandra.

The police have also taken charge of documents related to the Landcruiser to locate its registration number and to verify whether Khan had paid custom duties for it.