Hyderabad: In a new twist to a shooting incident involving Telugu cine star N Balakrishna, the victims gave a clean chit to him in a court in Hyderabad yesterday (Dec 15, 2004), stating that an unidentified assailant had fired at them.

The Telugu Film Producer Bellamkonda Suresh and the actor's astrologer friend Satnarayana Choudary, who had sustained bullet injuries, deposed before the sixth Metropolitan Magistrate at Nampally Criminal Court.

Suresh, who was operated for his bullet injury, informed the court that the actor had not opened fire on him or Chowdhary. In fact Balakrishna had saved their lives after being hit by bullets and tried to nab the assailant, he added.

Suresh, further told the court that he, Choudhary and Balakrishna were involved in an argument on a matter pertaining to a film produced by him when an unidentified person opened fire at them and fled the scene.

The shooting incident had occurred on June 4, 2004 at the actor's Jubilee Hills residence.

It may be recalled that Jubilee Hills police had filed a chargesheet in the case naming 36 witnesses including Balakrishna, his wife Vasundhara Devi and their driver Kankaiah.

The arguments were inconclusive.