Mumbai, Jan 15: A local court today deferred till January 30 the trial of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in a hit-and-run case saying it was awaiting the verdict of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Maharashtra government's plea to transfer the case to some other court. The Magistrate at Bandra Court, S Y Sishode, adjourned the trial as the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R D Gate is yet to give his verdict on state's transfer application.

Gate had reserved till January 21 his order on the state's plea challenging jurisdiction of Bandra magistrate to try Salman for ramming his vehicle into a shop killing one person and injuring four on September 28, 2002.

Salman opposed it saying "the state was trying to abuse the process of law and delay the trial." The actor pleaded through his Lawyer Dipesh Mehta that the state had not raised the jurisdiction issue when charges were framed against him on October 06 last year and also when the Supreme Court had directed Bandra Magistrate to try him. It was now challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court only to delay the trial.

The prosecutor urged that Bandra Magistrate S Y Sishode was not competent to conduct the trial as he had earlier recorded statements of three witnesses in this case. Under Section 164 Cr.Pc such a magistrate had to transfer the case to other court for trial, he argued.

The actor pleaded that section 164 of Cr.Pc did not put a ban on the magistrate to try the case himself. Besides, the Supreme Court had specifically ordered Bandra Magistrate to conduct the trial, he argued. Bureau Report