Wednesday, September 7 2005 16:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: A day before commencement of trial in hit-and-run case in which Bollywood actor Salman Khan is the accused, police have returned his passport and would be able to go abroad for film-shoot, Khan's lawyer told PTI today (Sept 7, 2005).

The actor had deposited his passport with Bandra police station in the city as per the trial court's instructions. Hearing in the case is slated to begin tomorrow, but the Mumbai High Court has already granted him exemption from appearing regularly during the trial.

When he approached the trial court for retrieving the passport last month, citing the reason that he needed to go to United States for the shooting of the film `Janeman', the court asked him to approach the police.

The police had then refused to return the passport and Salman's lawyer Deepesh Mehta had decided to move the High Court, but now the police have relented. Salman is facing the charge of killing one person and injuring four others by ramming his vehicle into a shop on September 28, 2002.

A local court on October six, 2003, framed 10 charges against Salman and the actor has pleaded not guilty.