October 5, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 27, 1423

MUMBAI, Oct 4: Bombay police said on Friday they had ordered Bollywood star Salman Khan, facing a probe into an alleged drunken driving accident that killed a homeless man, to surrender his passport.

“Khan has been asked to cooperate with the police in the investigation. We have asked him to surrender his passport to make sure he does not try to jump bail and flee the country,” said an official at the Bandra police station.

Another police official associated with the investigation said police were currently interrogating Khan’s cousin, Kamal Khan, who was also present in the car when the accident occurred last Saturday.

He said police were investigating whether the vehicle — a Toyota Land Cruiser — which the star was allegedly driving at the time of the accident belonged to him or not.

“We are trying to find that, too. There is a doubt that the vehicle may not be owned by the actor,” the officer added.

Joint police commissioner Ahmed Javed, who is heading the probe said he had nothing substantial for the moment.

Khan is free on bail of Rs 950 (19 dollars) after allegedly crashing the vehicle in an upscale Mumbai suburb, killing a homeless man and injuring three others.

Police have said Khan was driving under the influence of alcohol and alleged on Thursday he may also lack a valid driver’s license.

Police were furious that the actor fled the scene of the accident only to turn himself over hours later when a police search for him had been launched.

Khan contends that his vehicle was not being driven by him at the time of the accident, but by his police guard, who was supplied by the state after he received threats from the mafia.

The police withdrew the guard after the crash.—AFP