Mumbai: A sessions court on July 2 exempted film actor Salman Khan from appearance for the day on health grounds in a hit-and-run case but pulled up him for his absence and sternly warned that it would cancel his bail if he did not show up on the next occasion.

Principal judge A J Dholakia deferred to September 10 Salman's trial as he was not present although the prosecution declared that it was ready to examine four witnesses against him.

Salman is facing the charge of killing one person and injuring four by ramming his vehicle into a shop in suburban Bandra on September 28, allegedly in a drunken state.

Urging for actor's exemption, Salman's lawyer Sham Kumar Marwadi said he had gone to the US on May 22 to perform in stage shows and was to return on July 1 but he could not make it as he had undergone medical treatment abroad.

Prosecutor R V Kini, however, opposed Salman's plea for exemption saying he had not produced a medical certificate in support of his claim and had also not specified his illness.

He also informed the court that the prosecution was ready to examine four witnesses, including Ravindra Patil, former police bodyguard of Salman and eyewitness to the accident. Among the other three witnesses, two had seen the actor getting down from the vehicle after the mishap.

The court took a serious view of the actor's absence and told his lawyer that he would have to change his attitude or else face severe action including cancellation of his bail.

PTI