When upcoming model and documentary filmmaker Jessica Lal was murdered in 1999, the Delhi police thought they had an important witness in struggling actor Shayan Munshi.
Jessica was shot dead -- on April 29, 1999 at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani -- allegedly because she refused to serve alcohol after the bar was closed.
The police were relying on Munshi's statement and had taken his signature against main accused Manu Sharma.
However, Munshi turned hostile in court, as did many other witnesses, and the police case fell flat. All the accused, including Manu Sharma, were acquitted by a Delhi court on Tuesday.
Apparently, there were almost 100 people at the party when Jessica was shot, but no one came forward to support the prosecution.
Not too long ago, many Bollywood personalities turned hostile in the Bharat Shah case.
Film personalities like Anees Bazmee, Sanjay Gupta, Mahesh Manjrekar, owner of Venus music company Ratan Jain, financier Harish Sughand, Ajay Devgan's secretary Kumar Mangat, Salman Khan and even Shah Rukh Khan were among the witnesses who turned hostile.
Here's a quick look at some Bollywood actors who have turned hostile in court.
Shayan Munshi
Munshi was a prime witness in Jessica Lal murder case.
In their case against main accused Manu Sharma, the police said Munshi had agreed to become testify. However, the actor said in court: 'I never admitted to the police that I saw the killing. They (the police) made me sign some papers written in Hindi and I cannot read the language.'
This statement came soon after his first Hindi film, Jhankaar Beats, was released in 2003.
Munshi is presently keeping away from the media and has refused to comment on the Jessica Lal episode.
Salman Khan
Salman had acted in one of Bharat Shah's films, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, in 2000.
The prosecution alleged that the film's producer Nazim Rizvi was a henchman of underworld don Chhota Shakeel and that Rizvi was working in tandem with Bharat Shah and Shakeel.
They also alleged that Shakeel compelled the actors of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke -- Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta -- to work in the film.
In court, Salman denied everything. He turned hostile to the prosecution and claimed that he had never been threatened by the underworld.
Salman said he found it hard to believe that Rizvi had connections with the underworld.
'All that I know about Rizvi is that he is a fine producer and a thorough gentleman,' he said.
Shah Rukh Khan
In the same Bharat Shah case, the Mumbai police had alleged that Nazim Rizvi had threatened Shah Rukh Khan with dire consequences if he did not act in one of Rizvi's productions.
Public prosecutor Rohini Salian had also alleged that Rizvi had tried to get SRK to talk to Chhota Shakeel over the phone.
SRK denied the incident in court.
Rakesh Roshan
Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, who was shot at by gangster Abu Salem's henchmen, failed to identify the accused in court.
The filmmaker was shot at point-blank range on January 21, 2000. He was rushed to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, where he was operated upon, and a bullet was removed from his chest.
The police had arrested five suspects, allegedly of Salem's gang.
In court, the director said he could not remember what his two assailants looked like.
One of the reasons he said he could not identify the accused was because he was attacked at night and it was dark.
He, however, supported the prosecution's case that the henchmen attacked him after he refused to pay extortion money.
In the Bharat Shah case in December 2002, Roshan had told a special court that he had never received any extortion threat from either Salem or Chhota Shakeel.
Hindi TV Shows
Arjun
Sports
Anupamaa
0