Salman hit-and-run case: Witness denies seeing actor consume alcohol

Zee Media Bureau/Ritika Handoo New Delhi: The Salman Khan 2002 hit-and-run case seems to be one roller coaster ride for the actor. A day after the fourth witness identified the actor in court, now comes the latest development. Reportedly, the witness, a waiter in the bar during his cross-questioning said he doesn`t really remember having seen the actor consuming alcohol himself. The waiter named Molay Baug, it is learnt did identify the actor but denied having seen him take alcohol along with his friends. Another witness deposed in the court, Laxman More, a police constable who happens to be the bodyguard of Salman`s younger brother Sohail Khan, reports suggest. The Bollywood actor’s car had run over a group of people sleeping on a pavement in Bandra, killing one person and injuring four others in an accident, twelve years ago. Three eyewitnesses had testified before the court and identified the actor, earlier this month. The 48-year-old actor was seen by these two witnesses getting out of his car on that fateful day, said reports. One of the witnesses, who deposed earlier this month had lodged a complaint claiming that he had received a threatening call a few days back, reports added. During the deposing process last week, a witness named Samba Gowda, said he had drawn panchnama of the articles seized by police on the day of the incident on September 28, 2002. The witness told prosecutor Jagannath Kenjalkar that a big car was involved in the accident and that police had reached the spot along with him. He further said the car had rammed into a laundry and its bumper had hit the shutter of the shop. The witness said he saw glass pieces, number plate of the car and bumper parts lying on the spot. These articles were seized by police and a panchnama was drawn by him. On March 26, three witnesses failed to turn up as they were either not available or untraceable making this the second occasion when the fresh trial has not begun in the case. The Bollywood superstar faces the charges of running over his Toyota Land Cruiser on people sleeping on a footpath outside a bakery in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002, killing one and injuring four others.