Mumbai: Actor Salman Khan’s defence lawyer in the 2002 hit-and-run case, while cross-examining the doctor who extracted Khan’s blood sample for an alcohol test, claimed before the court on Tuesday that the procedure mentioned in the Civil Medical Manual was not followed while taking the sample.
When reminded by the judge that the witness Dr Shashikant Pawar’s role was limited to extracting blood and sending it for a forensic test, defence lawyer Shrikant Shivade informed the court that he was not asking irrelevant questions and had even used the RTI to get information before putting his questions to the doctor. He had been asking the doctor questions about his qualifications and if he had any special kit to take the sample.
The witness, who was working as the chief medical officer (CMO) at JJ Hospital at the time, told the court that he used the same procedure to extract the blood sample that was used by his predecessors. He said he used the standard procedure for taking and sealing the sample and wasn’t aware if the government has issued any government resolution (GR) for sealing a blood sample.
In other developments in the case, public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat inquired with the court about an application made by him to examine an RTO officer to prove that the actor was driving without a licence at the time of the accident. The court, however, informed him that the application was not yet decided upon.
Advocate Gharat said, “We have substance to show and want to prove that Khan did not have the driving licence in September 2002 when his car met with an accident.” He also pointed out before the court that the doctor in his statement had said that he had taken Khan’s oral consent before taking the blood sample for the alcohol test.
Judge D.W. Deshpande asked defence to complete cross-examination of the witness on January 31 and that he would hear the matter on a day-to-day basis from February 12 to 18 so that the trial gets over soon.
