Bollywood actor Salman Khan today did not appear before Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) to explain his “rape” remark, inviting displeasure of the panel which issued fresh summons to him for his appearance on 7 July.
Khan’s reply to the National Commission for Women’s notice to him over the same remark, failed to satisfy the panel, which said it found Salman “not apologetic”.
Citing double jeopardy, a procedural defence that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges in the same case, the actor had sent a letter to the MSCW through his lawyer that since the matter was being heard by the NCW, it cannot be taken up by the state Commission.
The Commission has now summoned the actor to appear before it on 7 July, she said.
When asked what steps the Commission would take if Khan failed to turn up again on 7 July, Rahatkar said, “That would be decided that day.”
In Delhi, NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said that in his reply Salman was “not apologetic” and that the panel was examining its mandate to deal with such instances and the legalities involved. Refusing to reveal details of his reply, Kumaramangalam said:
The reply was e-mailed to NCW through Salman’s lawyer on Tuesday evening, while the NCW notice was sent directly to the actor’s residence.
“The reply has come from his lawyer, which means it is a legal reply. So we can’t just reply off the cuff,” Kumaramangalam said.
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