The RTO officer who had inspected Salman Khan's vehicle after the 2002 hit-and-run case, gave false statement to the court, Salman Khan's lawyer said during the officer's cross-examination on Wednesday.
"Did you know that you were giving false statement to the court? Do you know it is a crime to speak lies on oath?" advocate Shrikant Shivade, appearing for Salman Khan, asked the RTO officer.
The officer said: "It was a slip of tongue. I feel I shouldn't have said it." The technical issue of difference was whether a power steering gets affected due to a puncture or leakage of oil.
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The officer had earlier told the court that a puncture or leakage does not affect the power steering. But during his cross-examination on Wednesday, he admitted that the steering control is affected due to it. "But I can't say about this vehicle (Salman's vehicle involved in the accident) if the power steering will get affected in case of a puncture or leakage of oil," he said.
He also said he had made no effort to find out why the air bags were not deployed during the accident. In his statement, he told the court that it was found that the air bags were not deployed when he examined the car after the accident. "I don't know if air bags are deployed when a high-speed car comes to an abrupt stop," he said.
He couldn't answer the question on the number of axles in the vehicle he had inspected. He also said he did not know what suspension (in vehicle) meant. He answered a few other technical queries like the number of propeller shafts in the car, and the functions of the electric key.
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After the cross-examination, the prosecution moved an application for re-examining him.
The court will hear the matter next on January 8.