Salman Khan journalist ‘assault’ case explained: Did actor beat up journalist, snatch his phone in 2019?

The Bombay High Court quashed the complaint filed by a journalist about an alleged assault by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and his bodyguard Nawaz Shaikh. The journalist had earlier alleged that the actor and his bodyguard had assaulted him.

The HC also quashed the process (summons) issued to Khan and Shaikh by a lower court last year. A magistrate's court had, in March 2022, issued a process to Khan and Shaikh and directed them to appear before it on April 5.

The order was passed in a complaint filed against the duo by journalist Ashok Pandey alleging he was threatened and assaulted by them. Ashok Pandey alleged that Salman Khan and his bodyguard had snatched his phone and beaten him.

What is Salman Khan’s journalist assault case?

The complaint against Salman Khan was filed in 2019 when a journalist named Ashok Pandey was clicking photos of Salman Khan while he was passing by with his bodyguard. It was alleged that Salman Khan had blackmailed and threatened him while he was clicking photos.

Earlier, the journalist had alleged that Salman Khan and Nawaz Shaikh had taken his phone, with no mention of any assault. Later, Pandey said that Salman Khan and his bodyguard had assaulted him and threatened him during the altercation.

There were a lot of discrepancies in the complaint filed by Ashok Pandey, and the court said that the journalist had changed his statements multiple times. Keeping in mind that there were many discrepancies in the complaint, the Bombay HC ended up quashing the complaint.

During the hearing, Justice Dangre told the journalist, “After two months you realized phataka mara tha, assault kiya tha? Immediately, you don't say mujhe mara or assaulted, but after two months you say you were assaulted. See your first complaint to the police." 

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