Scribe case: HC extends stay on summons to Salman Khan

The Bombay High Court on Thursday extended the stay on summons issued to actor Salma Khan till June 13 in a complaint filed by a journalist, Ashok Pandey, in 2019 alleging criminal intimidation. Justice NJ Jamadar also stayed the summons issued to Khan’s bodyguard Nawaz Shaikh. Khan and Shaikh had challenged the criminal proceedings issued against them by the Andheri metropolitan magistrate on March 22 this year. The magistrate had summoned the duo.

Initially, on April 5, the HC stayed the criminal proceedings against Khan till May 5. On Thursday, Khan’s bodyguard, too, filed a petition seeking stay on the proceedings against him.

In his complaint addressed to the DN Nagar police station, the scribe had alleged that Khan had snatched away his mobile phone while cycling on the streets of Mumbai when media persons had started clicking his photos. The actor had allegedly entered into an argument and threatened him. Based on the complaint, the magistrate issued summons and initiated criminal proceedings observing, “Keeping in view the selfspeaking material on record, positive police report…and other material on record, there are sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused persons.” Khan had challenged this order before the HC. Khan’s counsels, Aabad Ponda and Parag Khandhar instructed by DSK Legal, argued that the actor had only asked his bodyguard to stop the journalist from clicking his pictures. Further Ponda argued that on the date of the incident, Pandey had sent a letter to the police station in which Khan had not been named. Later when the complaint was filed again in June, Khan's name was reflected, said Ponda. Pandey’s advocate, contended that the scribe was traumatised and hence there was omission on his part in mentioning the actor's name.