Prime witness in Salman Khan’s hit-and-run case gave a miss to local court despite non-bailable warrant against him, prompting the magistrate to defer the case till February 16. On two occasions earlier, the court had issued warrant against him.

Ravindra Patil is an eyewitness in the case as he was accompanying Salman when the actor met with an accident on September 28, 2002 and rammed his car into a bakery, killing one person and injuring four.

Patil who is being cross-examined by defence lawyer Dipesh Mehta, last time fumbled for words before the trial court when he was confronted with contradictions in his police complaint and interview in a popular tabloid which he gave a day after the mishap.

The interview had mentioned Patil as saying that Salman had told him that the wheel was not turning just before he rammed the car into a bakery after dodging an electric pole. The witness had told the defence lawyer that the contents of the interview were correct. However, in the police complaint he had not stated so, the court was told.

He was asked to appear for cross-examination but he did not come and the court adjourned the trial.