Mumbai: Trial court asked for fresh paperbook in Salman Khan case

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday rejected the appeal paperbook submitted by the trial court and ordered for a fresh one in actor Salman Khan’s 2002 hit-and-run case.

The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday rejected the appeal paperbook submitted by the trial court and ordered for a fresh one in actor Salman Khan’s 2002 hit-and-run case.

Paperbook is compilation of evidence, documents, prepared by the court registry and submitted to both the sides before the appeal is heard.

After ordering for a fresh paperbook on August 26, the HC once again ordered the trial court to submit a new paperbook and adjourned the matter for September 11.

A single bench of justice AR Joshi was hearing the actor’s appeal against the five-year conviction by the sessions court in May.

Khan’s lawyer, senior counsel Amit Desai, continued to bring to the court’s notice

that the documents relevant to the trial were missing

and important evidences were not part of the appeal paperbook.

Desai said the paperbook has not been prepared as

per the criminal manual and there is a list of missing documents.

He said the documents, which have been translated from Marathi to English, are not typed. He said the paperbook, which is in conflict with the law and criminal manual, has created prejudice.

Desai said that he was facing conviction by a court that feels chargesheet is important whereas chargesheet is just the opinion of the investigating officer. He pointed out that the criminal manual categorically said that the chargesheet, bail orders and vakalatnama need not be included in the paperbook.

Salman was sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment on May 6, for running his SUV over pavement dwellers in Bandra, killing one person and injuring four others in September 2002.