Prosecution plea to re-examine witness in Salman Khan hit-and-run case rejected

In a setback to the prosecution in the hit-and-run case allegedly involving the Bollywood actor Salman Khan, the sessions court on Thursday rejected its plea to re-examine an RTO officer who had carried out inspection of the actor's car after the incident in 2002. Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat had sought re-examination of RS Ketkar, who worked with Regional Transport Office in 2002, on the ground that he had given "vague and evasive" answers to Khan's lawyer Srikant Shivade during the cross-examination and certain clarifications were needed to be brought on court's record.

Judge DW Deshpande, however, rejected the application after the defence objected to it. Shivade argued the prosecution wanted to bring new facts on record on the pretext of re-examination and it may cause prejudice to the accused (Khan).

If the witness had been "vague and evasive" during the cross-examination, it should only bother the defence and the prosecution need not re-examine him, he said. Gharat denied that he wanted to bring on record any new facts. The judge, however, said the prosecution can incorporate clarifications in the final arguments.

The court on Thursday allowed the prosecution to examine, on January 19, a doctor who had subjected Khan to blood test after the accident to find out if he was drunk. A police constable, who had taken the actor to government-run JJ Hospital for the test, would also be examined on the same day.

One person died and four were injured when a car, allegedly driven by Khan, ran over them in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002.