Mumbai, Sept 29: Mumbai high court has directed Maharashtra government and city police to file an affidavit on October one stating what material they had to substantiate the charges framed against film financier Bharat Shah under a stringent state law. The direction was given recently by justice S S Parkar on an appeal filed by Shah against a lower court's order which refused to alter, amend or modify charges framed against him. The judge has posted the matter for final hearing on October one.
Shah challenged an order of trial judge A P Bhangale who had charged him with threatening film personalities including Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan and conspiring with others to murder them.
Shah has also questioned the framing of charge of murder (section 302 IPC) on the ground that it was "absurd" as these personalities were still alive. Eminent lawyers Kapil Sibal, V R Manohar and Vibhav Krishna would appear on Shah's behalf while prosecutor Rohini Salian would represent the state. Shah had raised the issue of amending, altering and modifying charges framed against him in the supreme court. The apex court, however, asked him to move the high court in appeal. Shah argued that charges should be modified or altered on the basis of material available on record as of now. The trial court, however, had turned down his plea on the ground that altering or modifying charges could be considered after the evidence was adduced. Bureau Report