Image: NDTV
On Thursday, criminal proceedings against Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan were stayed by the Gujarat High Court. The 51-year old actor, who was not present in court, was promoting his film, Raees on a train journey from Mumbai to New Delhi earlier this year. One person died on the platform as the train stopped in Vadodara in Gujarat.
The Vadodara resident, believed to be a local politician, died of a heart attack after being caught in the crowd that had gathered to see Shah Rukh. The Gujarat HC has granted an interim stay after SRK’s lawyer argued that the actor could not be held responsible for the death.
Shah Rukh had taken the August Kranti Express from Mumbai to New Delhi on January 23 as publicity for his film Raees, set in Gujarat. The deceased man, who was identified as Fahreed Khan Pathan, had come to the station with his wife and daughter to meet a journalist, who was a relative, travelling as part of the media entourage on the train.
“It is extremely unfortunate that someone has died…my prayers are with his family. We felt bad as our team was going with us and everyone was happy during the entire journey. I hope his soul rests in peace and his family remains well,” Shah Rukh Khan had said.
Railway minister, Suresh Prabhu ordered a probe after the death, promising action in case of any lapse on the part of the railway police. The criminal proceedings against the actor are at the behest of a Vadodara resident named Jitendra Solanki, who had approached the court after the police refused to let him file an FIR.
The next hearing would be held on September 25.