Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s lawyer Amit Desai on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that certain documents were missing and hence he could not argue his appeal in Khan’s hit-and-run case.
In an application filed before Justice A.R. Joshi, Desai claimed that some documents relating to Khan’s defence were not included in the paper-book — a compilation of evidence and documents prepared by the court registry and submitted to both sides before the appeal is heard.
One such document, which he termed “very vital”, pertains to the defence’s stance that police witness Ravindra Patil was a “fabricated witness” who was not telling the truth.
Public Prosecutor Purnima Kantharia and S.S. Shinde said that though the paper-book did not have this document, it was placed in the records and proceedings of the case, which could be referred to by the defence lawyer.
Desai argued that the paper-book should be prepared according to the prescribed manual of the Bombay High Court, which was refuted by the prosecution.
On May 6, Khan was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, in the September 28, 2002, accident in Bandra that killed one and injured four homeless people.
On May 8, the Bombay High Court suspended the jail term, admitted Khan’s appeal challenging the lower court verdict and granted him bail.
