Court rejects Fardeen’s plea

Actor Fardeen Khan looked nervous when he left Bombay High Court on Friday afternoon after the court dismissed his application for amendment of complaint and the statements of the co-accused while framing charges in a drug possession case.

As the framing of charges in his cocaine consumption case of May 2001 is lined up in the special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act court, Justice SC Dharmadhikari dismissed the case saying that directing the trial judge about what evidence should be considered while framing charges in this case would be ‘innocuous’.

He, however, said the trial judge should not be influenced by his earlier orders while framing charges and it should be done in accordance with law.

After the High Court rejected his plea to undergo detoxification instead of facing trial in the case on February 8, Fardeen made another application to court asking for his as well as his co-accused, Nasir Sheikh’s statements to be taken into consideration and not just rely on the prosecution’s story.

On June 5, 2006 the trial court had refused to make the statements of Fardeen and the other accused in the case admissible evidence for framing charges.

Citing Supreme Court judgments, senior counsel VR Manohar said “The court cannot mortgage itself by agreeing with what the prosecution says.”