Mumbai, Nov 01: Well-known film maker Sanjay Gupta today turned hostile in a special court as he denied having spoken to Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel on telephone from a hotel in Nasik two years ago in the company of actor Sanjay Dutt and two others. Earlier, in a statement to police, the witness had said he, actor Sanjay Dutt, director Mahesh Manjrekar and financier Harish Sughand, had spoken to Shakeel on telephone on November 14, 2000, from hotel Taj residency in Nasik.
He is the fifth witness in the case to turn hostile. The others who have not supported the prosecution are financier Harish Sughand, businessman Aftab Patel, director of music Venus company Ratan Jain and director Mahesh Manjrekar. A cassette of the alleged conversation was then played in the court. After hearing the talk, Gupta denied that it was his voice and also did not recognise the voice of others.


Public prosecutor Rohini Salian then declared him hostile and cross-examined him.
Except Sanjay Dutt, all the persons who had allegedly talked to Shakeel from the hotel in Nasik have turned hostile. The prosecution had examined them to show the nexus of Bollywood with the underworld.

Bureau Report