Missing witness statements delay Salman case hearing

A day after a witness turned hostile in the Salman Khan accident case retrial, police statements of two witnesses were Wednesday reported to be "untraceable" which led to the case being adjourned for a month to July 25.

The prosecution informed Sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande that the original police statements of two witnesses could not be traced, though both witnesses were ready for examination.

Public prosecutor Jagannath V. Kenjralkar sought more time, which was granted, and the court adjourned the matter to July 25 after directing police to trace the papers and present them before the court.

Retired investigating officer K. Shenghal informed the court that the statements of both witnesses may be lying at the Bandra magistrate court where the earlier trial was conducted.

After Shenghal's retirement, Rajendra Kane was appointed to probe the matter and was present in court Wednesday.

In view of the development, the testimony of the two witnesses could not be recorded Wednesday, the third day after hearing resumed in the retrial of the September 2002 hit-and-run case against Salman Khan.

Salman Khan is now facing an additional charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder which attracts a 10-year jail term.

So far, 11 witnesses have been examined, of which one turned hostile Tuesday.

Salman Khan is accused of driving his SUV onto a pavement in Bandra Sep 28, 2002, leading to the death of one person and injuries to four others.

On Dec 5, 2013, a Mumbai court ordered a retrial in the case which is now underway in the sessions court.