Salman Khan’s trial under Arms Act in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) here has been put off till July 20 in the wake of the actor challenging the lower court’s verdict in the High Court. Khan was supposed to present his side in the court today but his counsel H M Saraswat moved an application seeking deferment in the wake of stay on the trial granted by the High Court until the petition was decided.
“We had moved a criminal miscellaneous petition in the High Court seeking permission to call 5 prosecution witnesses for re-examination. The court allowed the same on May 28 and stayed the hearing in the trial court,” said Saraswat.
Hearing will now take place in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (Jodhpur district) on July 20 subject to decision of the petition in the High Court, where the matter has been listed for July 8.
Salman had appeared in the trial court for recording of his statements on April 29, where he had pleaded innocence. The court had then given him a chance to produce evidence on May 4. But before this could happen, the Session Court had stayed the trial after Khan’s petition seeking permission to call 5 prosecution witnesses. Following this petition, the trial was held up, with the court giving the fresh date of June 1.
The Session Court had rejected Khan’s petition on May 14, after which, the defence moved the High Court challenging the decision of the Session Court. Justice Nirmal Jeet Kaur allowed this petition on May 28 and stayed the hearing in the trial court until the same was decided.
“Now we will have to wait until the order is passed by the High Court on the defences criminal miscellaneous petition, which would mean a delay of about 3 months,” said government counsel Mahipal Bishnoi.
