Why Salman was in court today

Bollywood actor Salman Khan Thursday appeared before the Special MCOCA Court to depose as a witness in a 10-year-old case involving the movie 'Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' (CCCC), his family said.

"He had given a police statement regarding the persons he had met before the making of the 'CCCC' movie over 10 years ago. He was called to confirm the statements before the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act today (Thursday)," his father Salim Khan told IANS.

Salim Khan said the development comes a week after Salman received his pending fees for the 'CCCC' movie - Rs.2.5 million.

Salman maintained before MCOCA Special Judge M.P. Kukde that the first time he met producer Nazim Rizvi was at his home when he came to discuss the movie project with him. He said he had never met Rizvi's assistant Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh Khan before.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in 2001, seized the prints of 'Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' after it was found that funds from questionable sources were used in making the movie and the investigations pointed at the Mumbai mafia.

Well-known diamond merchant Bharat Shah, who has financed over a 100 movies, 'Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' producer Rizvi and his assistant Allahbaksh and Dubai-based gangster Mohammed Shamsuddin alias Bhatija were among the accused.

The CBI contended that 'Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' was produced by Rizvi and financed by Shah at the instance of absconding mafia don, Chhota Shakeel.

Following this, the court directed the court receiver to deposit the income from the movie in the government treasury till the matter was pending. Even the payment due to Salman was deposited in the government treasury.

Salman filed an application praying for the clearance of his fees for acting in the movie. As per the agreement with the producer, Salman was entitled to a payment of Rs. 15 million (Rs.1.5 crore) from Shah.

Though a part of the payment was made to Salman, in January 2009 a Mumbai court ordered the Maharashtra government to clear the actor's pending dues of Rs.2.5 million that was finally cleared last week, Salim Khan said.

Released in March 2001, 'Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' was a family drama revolving on the sensitive issue of surrogate motherhood, was mired in controversy after both Shah and Rizvi were arrested and sent to custody.

Directed by the successful director-brother duo, Abbas-Mustan Burmawala, the film starred Preity Zinta and Rani Mukerji and did reasonably well at the box office.

Indo-Asian News Service