The Bombay High Court on Thursday extended till June 13 the stay granted on the process (summons) issued to actor Salman Khan by a lower court in connection with the alleged misbehaviour with a journalist in 2019.A magistrate’s court had in March this year issued the process to Khan and his bodyguard Nawaz Shaikh and directed them to appear before it on April 5.The order was passed on a complaint filed against the duo by journalist Ashok Pandey, who alleged that he was threatened and assaulted by them. Khan had last month approached the HC challenging the summons. On April 5, the high court had stayed the summons till May 5.Later, Khan’s bodyguard Shaikh also filed a petition challenging the summons. On Thursday, both the petitions came up for hearing before a single bench of Justice N J Jamadar. The court extended the stay on the summons against both Khan and his bodyguard till June 13.
Pandey had alleged that in April 2019, Khan and Shaikh abused and assaulted him for filming the actor while he was cycling on a road in Mumbai.Khan in his petition claimed there were contradictions and improvisations in Pandey’s complaint, and that he had not said anything to Pandey at the time of the alleged incident. Metropolitan Magistrate R R Khan had on March 23 issued the process to Khan and Shaikh, after noting that a police report submitted in the matter stated that offences under Indian Penal Code Sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) are made out against the accused persons. Pandey had alleged that the actor snatched his mobile phone while cycling on a Mumbai street when some media persons started clicking his photos. The actor had allegedly entered into an argument and threatened him, Pandey said in his complaint. The issuance of a process marks the beginning of criminal proceedings before a metropolitan or judicial magistrate based on a complaint lodged by an individual. The magistrate court issues the process if it finds prima facie substance in the allegations made in the complaint. Once the process is issued, the accused person has to appear before the court.