Hearing of Salman's appeal delayed

The Bombay High Court today rejected the 'paper-book' in 2002 hit-and-run-case, in which Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been convicted, saying it doesn't conform to rules and should be prepared anew by September 11.
Paper-book is compilation of evidence, documents and the the lower court's orders/verdict, prepared by the HC registry and submitted to both the sides before the appeal is heard.
The HC is hearing an appeal filed by Salman against the five-year sentence awarded on May 6 by the sessions court for ramming his car into a bakery, killing one person and injuring four others, in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002.

Last month, the court had asked the registry to prepare a fresh paper-book by adding some documents which Salman's lawyer, Amit Desai, said were "missing".
The revised paper-book was submitted today but advocate Desai said it was still not in keeping with the HC manual.
The charge-sheet was included when it is not needed, he said. "The charges are to be listed but here the charge sheet has been added....The (present) paper-book is a prejudicial material, it is in conflict with law, conflict with manual," he said.

Justice A R Joshi then ordered the HC registry to prepare the paper-book again, strictly complying with rules as the appeal cannot be heard without completing this exercise.

Among other things, the paper-book did not have a document pertaining to a media interview given by Ravindra Patil, a policeman who was then Salman's bodyguard and eye- witness to the accident. Patil, who died during the trial, had contradicted in the interview his own statement before the magistrate, the application by Salman's lawyer says.
It is a very vital document for the defence to prove that Patil was not telling the truth, it says. Patil had told the magistrate that Salman was driving the car and was drunk.
The actor, who is on bail, did not come to the court today. His sister Alvira was present.