Salman Khan hit-and-run case: Statements of two witnesses not found

The prosecution, on Wednesday, informed the court conducting the Salman Khan hit-and-run case that they had not been able to trace the original copies of the statements of two witnesses, who they were about to examine.

The investigating officer, however, informed the court that he would produce those papers on the next date. The court, presided by judge DW Deshpande, adjourned the matter to July 25.

The court had summonsed two witnesses, Kalpesh Varma, the parking manager attached to hotel JW Marriott, and Amin Shaikh. Both were present in the court. When Varma was called to the witness box, the court staff informed the prosecution that they had not been able to trace the written recorded statement of the witnesses, which they had given to the police.

When the court asked the prosecution for an explanation, the advocate informed the court that the papers weren't traceable, but the investigating officer would produced it in court on the next date.

Meanwhile, police officer Kishan Shengal, the investigating officer in the case at the time when the incident took place, explaining the transfer of the documents from the lower court to the sessions court, said:

"Normally when any case is transferred from lower court to sessions court, the lower court does not maintain the record of the evidence or statements. Those are either sent to the police station concerned or to the public prosecutor's office."

The present investigating officer in the case informed the court that the papers were not with the Bandra police, and that he would search for them in the public prosecutor's office in Bandra magistrate court, and produce them before the court on the next date.