Salman appears before special court to depose against Chhota Shakeel's henchman

Actor Salman Khan today appeared before a special court here as a prosecution witness and deposed against gangster Chhota Shakeel's henchman Anjum Fazlani.

According to the prosecution, Fazlani had threatened Salman to reduce his fee for producer Nazim Rizvi's movie Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001) or face dire consequences.

Salman, clad in a black shirt and cream trousers, stood in the witness box for over half an hour and calmly answered all the questions put forth by the public prosecutor.

The actor told special MCOCA judge MP Kukday that he was approached by Rizvi and assistant producer Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh with an offer to play the lead role in the movie.

"I agreed to the offer but on the condition that the movie should be directed by a well-established director. Rahim wanted to direct the movie himself, but then agreed and the movie was directed by Abbas-Mastan," Salman told the court.

Salman, however, said he does not remember Fazlani and that he might have met him once or twice. The prosecution's case is that the film released in 2001 was financed by diamond merchant Bharat Shah at the behest of Chhota Shakeel.

Shah, Rizvi and Rahim were charged and faced trial under the stringent provisions of MCOCA and other sections of IPC.