Salman

Mumbai, June 16: A key witness in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case today told the trial court the actor’s relatives had threatened him over the phone and asked him not to testify.

Ravindra Patil, police constable and Khan’s former bodyguard, was in the Toyota Land Cruiser that the drunken film star had driven over a pavement at Bandra three years ago, killing a bakery employee and injuring four.

The bodyguard had told police he had warned Khan not to drive so rashly, but the actor had ignored him.

Patil today appeared before the Bandra metropolitan court after it issued a non-bailable warrant against him and explained that the telephone threats were the reason why he had ignored three summons. The court directed the police to take the witness into custody till tomorrow.

After the accident on September 28, 2002, Khan was arrested and slapped with the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The charge was dropped after the actor challenged it, provoking a barrage of protests. He is now being tried for rash and negligent driving and for causing minor as well as major injuries.

The actor’s counsel, Dipesh Mehta, today filed an application seeking an in-camera trial. The court told the prosecution to file a reply by tomorrow.

The court will also hear Patil’s application to cancel the non-bailable warrant tomorrow.

The Bombay High Court has exempted Khan from making personal appearances during the trial unless specifically required.