Relief for Salman? HC allows Khan's plea to summon witnesses for re-examination

Jodhpur, July 28: The Rajasthan High Court today allowed a plea by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to summon 5 prosecution witnesses for re-examination in a black buck poaching case against him under Arms Act.

Khan moved a criminal miscellaneous petition in the high court seeking permission to allow him to recall 5 prosecution witnesses, including the then District Magistrate Rajat Kumar Mishra and the Investigation Officer (ASP) Ashok Patni, after the two subsequent rejections of the same plea by the trial and the ACJM (Rural) courts.

"The petition was heard by the court earlier on July 20 but remained incomplete. Today, justice Nirmal Jeet Kaur allowed the petition and ordered the lower (trial) court to summon 5 witnesses for re-examination by us," said defence counsel H M Saraswat.

The matter is listed in the trial court for hearing on August 19, said a government counsel Mahipal Bishnoi.

The trial in the case had been stayed earlier by the sessions court and then by the high court since May 4 when Khan had to produce evidences in support of his plea of innocence in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Rural).

PTI