He would return from the USA tonight and appear before the Court on Monday, sources close to the superstar said.
The case would come up for the first time before the Sessions Court after a Magistrate transferred the matter to that court by charging the actor with a more serious charge of 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder'.
Along with the prosecution's case against Salman, the court would also hear his appeal against the Magistrate's order, invoking the charge of 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' against him which attracts a punishment up to ten years in prison.
Sessions Judge U B Hejib has scheduled the hearing for March 25, and the 47-year-old had been asked to be present on that day, the sources said.
It would be Salman's first appearance before the Sessions court after Bandra Magistrate's court referred the case to the Sessions Court (because the offence he is now charged with is serious).
Earlier, the Magistrate had asked Salman to appear before the Sessions court on March 11, but he did not go to the court that day as the case was yet to be assigned to any judge.
Sources said as there would be a fresh trial, evidence produced before the Magistrate's court would not be considered and prosecution may have to adduce evidence afresh.
One person was killed and four injured when a Land Cruiser, allegedly driven by Salman, ran over people sleeping on pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra in the wee hours of September 28, 2002.
On March 8, advocate Ashok Mundargi, Salman's lawyer, had urged the Sessions court to hear the main case against the actor and his appeal against Magistrate's order invoking the charge of `culpable homicide not amounting to murder' (section 304 part II of IPC) simultaneously.
The trial before the Magistrate was proceeding on the lesser charge of 'causing death by negligence' (section 304 A of Indian Penal Code), which attracts maximum punishment of two years in jail.
After examining 17 witnesses, the Magistrate concluded that the charge of 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder' was prima facie made out against the actor.
Salman Khan in blackbuck poaching case
Salman Khan is also fresh facing charges, along with four other actors, in a 14-year-old case of blackbuck poaching during a film shooting in Rajasthan.
The court of chief judicial magistrate will read out the fresh charges on Saturday to Khan and co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Tabbu, Sonali Bendre, Neelam in connection with the hunting of protected blackbuck at Kankani village in Jodhpur during shooting of film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.
The Rajasthan High Court had revised the charges against these stars in December 2012, charging Khan with section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act and others including a local accused Dushyant Singh with section 51/52 of Wildlife Protection Act and section 149 of IPC.
No comments:
Post a Comment