Two more witnesses in the 2002 hit-and-run case involving actor Salman Khan testified in a Mumbai court on Monday.
The first witness, a waiter who was working at a bar that Mr Khan had visited prior to the accident, told the court that Salman had visited the bar with a group of friends and that the group had ordered alcohol that evening. The waiter, 42-year-old Moloy Baug also identified the actor in court. However during cross-questioning he said he did not remember having seen Mr Khan consume alcohol that evening.
He later told reporters, "That day Salman came at night around 11-11:30PM and he was with his friends. There were around 7-8 of them. He came while the restaurant was quite full so he was standing at the bar for some time. They placed their order...with the manager after which I served the drinks and the food on the table.
Mr Baug said that while he served Bacardi Rum and cocktails that evening he did not recall noticing Mr Khan consuming alcohol himself.
Along with the waiter a police constable, Laxman More, who was assigned as a bodyguard for the actor's brother Sohail Khan also testified in court.
On the day of the mishap, Mr More was posted at Mr Khan's residential building along with others. Both Sohail and Salman had gone to 'Rain Bar' that night. He told the court that at around 3:00 am, a man came running to Salman's apartment and informed them that Salman Khan had met with an accident nearby. The constable told the court that he rushed to the spot with this man in his car but did not find Salman Khan there.
Mr Khan, attired in a grey shirt and blue denims, was present in court on Monday. His sisters Alvira and Arpita were also present.
Earlier this month, three eyewitnesses had testified before the court and identified the actor. Mr Khan, 47, was present for the hearing held on May 6, during which one of the survivors claimed that the actor was so drunk on the night of the accident that he fell down, then got up and ran away from the accident site.
The witness, who was injured in the accident, had claimed that he saw Mr Khan getting out from the right side of the Toyota Land Cruiser whereas the actor's lawyers have argued for nearly a decade that he was not at the wheel.
One of the witnesses had even complained to the police that she had received a threatening call in connection to the case.
One person was killed and four others were injured when a car allegedly driven by Salman Khan rammed into a bakery shop on September 28, 2002.
Altogether six witnesses have so far deposed in the re-trial, which continues on Tuesday. In December, a Mumbai court ordered a fresh trial for Mr Khan, who is accused now of culpable homicide in the hit-and-run case and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He originally faced lesser charges of rash and negligent driving.
Copyright: ndtv.com
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