Waiter identifies Salman Khan, says he served drinks to his group

Mumbai: A bar waiter today identified actor Salman Khan in a court saying he had come along with his friends in a group to have drinks in a five-star hotel on the same night, hours before Khan ran over his car over people sleeping on footpath in suburban Bandra, 12 years ago.

The waiter, Molay Baug, told Judge D W Deshpande he had served cocktails and Bacardi (White Rum) to the group who had come along with Salman to 'Zen Bar' in J W Marriot hotel, but could not remember whether the actor had consumed drinks.

Public prosecutor Jagannath Kenjralkar examined the witness to show the court that the actor had consumed drinks before meeting with an accident on the ill-fated day.

"The lights were dim and it was dark and hence I could not see who had consumed liquor...all that I remember is that I had served drinks to this group which had come with Salman, the waiter told defence lawyer Srikant Shivade during cross-examination.

To another question, the witness said it would be difficult for him to say whether everyone in the group had consumed alcoholic drinks.

Another witness, Laxman More, a police constable, said he was in the team which was on duty to give protection to Salman's brother Sohail Khan. On the day of the mishap, he was posted at Salman's residential building along with others.

Sohail and Salman had gone to 'Rain Bar' that night. While Sohail returned after midnight, Salman had still not come. At 3 AM, a man came running to us and informed that Salman had met with an accident nearby.

"I rushed to the spot with this man in his car but did not find Salman at the accident spot. We waited there for two to three minutes," the witness said.

However, during this period, the crane had not arrived to lift the car from the steps of the shop which had been hit in the impact. Also, I do not know the person who told us about the accident, the witness said in cross-examination. One person was killed and four others were injured when Salman had rammed his car into a bakery shop on September 28, 2002.

Salman, attired in a grey shirt and blue denims, was in the dock. His sisters Alvira and Arpita were also present. Altogether six witnesses have so far deposed in the re-trial, which would continue tomorrow.