Salman case: Witness takes U-turn

Mumbai: The prosecution in the hit-and-run case involving actor Salman Khan received a major setback on Thursday when a key witness and one of the injured, Mohammad Abdul Rauf Sheikh, turned hostile.

The witness retracted in the court from his earlier statement to the police that he saw Salman coming out of the car after the accident.

Sheikh’s latest statement is in contradiction to his earlier stand supporting the prosecution.

This has brought slight reprieve to the Bollywood star. Meanwhile, Salman’s lawyer Hitesh Mehta said, “We are confidant that we will get justice. All the witnesses have not been examined till now. Also the allegations that we have threatened the witnesses are false.”

On September 28, 2002, Salman had rammed his car in suburban Bandra killing one person and injuring four others who were sleeping on the pavement.

Of the 45 witnesses, four had already deposed before the court. Among them were witnesses, Ravindra Patil and Ramasray Pandey.

On March 16, Patil reiterated his statement that Salman was driving the car himself and was drunk.

Patil said this during the cross-examination and also emphasised that he had advised Salman not to drive the car as he was under the influence of liquor.

However, then Mehta, had said that it is the initial stage of the case and not much should be read into Patil's statement.

He also added that Patil has only reiterated his earlier statement and there are other important witnesses in the case.

Next Page: Witnesses become weary

This is not the first time that a witness has turned hostile in the Salman Khan hit and run case.

The actor had rammed his SUV in a bakery, an accident that injured four people sleeping on the footpath and killed one.

The irony is that Salman would have been convicted in two cases, one for killing animals and for killing human life, had his bodyguard not taken a U-turn after giving a statement on the case. But unfortunately the trial continues.

Salman's Bodyguard, Ravindra Patil was accompanying Salman in his vehicle when the accident happened.

Hostile Witness: Ravindra Patil

Had earlier said that he had asked the actor to drive slowly, just before the accident. (Statement: I asked Salman to drive slowly)

But later retracted his statement before the Bandra court.

He was suspended from the police after he turned hostile

And even went absconding .. until he was found in a Mahabaleshwar hotel.

In court he pleaded that he was Mentally ill

The response of local shopkeepers was hostile and they chose to forget the case, a reason why conviction rates across the country remain low.

“This is an old story. Ask someone else,” a local tailor Ramesh said.

A local resident said, “We don’t know anything. We weren’t here.”

There have been several other high profile cases, where hostile witnesses and shoddy investigation have jeopardised the trial. The Jessica Lal murder case where prime accused Manu Sharma went scott free after nearly 100 witnesses including actor Shyam Munshi turned hostile, is the most recent.

Cartoonist Irfan Hussain's alleged murderers also went scott free after police witnesses turned hostile and the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case also followed the same trend.

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