Sessions judge U B Hejib had on June 24 upheld a metropolitan court's order that the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was made out against the 47-year-old Bollywood superstar, dismissed his appeal against the verdict, and asked him to appear before the court today.
The actor had earlier been tried by a metropolitan magistrate for a lesser offence of causing death by negligence (Section 304 A of IPC), which provides for a maximum sentence of two years. He will now stand trial under a law pertaining to culpable homicide that could attract a jail term upto ten years.
The trial in the sessions court would start afresh as the Bandra metropolitan court had halted the proceedings midway after examining 17 witnesses, ruling that the more serious charge of culpable homicide was made out against the actor. An offence under the charge of culpable homicide is triable by a sessions court.
Outside the court there was a commotion as litigants and advocates were prevented by police from entering the room. On one occasion, the judge asked his staff to go out and tell the people gathered there not to make noise.
In a related development, the judge reserved till July 24 his order on two applications-- one moved by activist Santosh Daundkar, seeking to intervene in the trial, and another by the actor's counsel for restraining the media from maligning the actor.