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Shah, film producer Nasim Rizvi, his assistant Abdul Rahim Allah Baksh and Dubai-based diamond merchant Mohammed Shamshuddin alias Bhatija denied the charges, framed by designated Judge A P Bhangale.
The accused were charged with offences under section 120-b of the Indian Penal Code (conspiracy), section 115 IPC (abetment of offence punishable with death or life imprisonment) read with section 302 IPC (murder).
They are also charged under section 3(2) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (abetting organised crime), section 3 (4) of the same Act (member of organised crime syndicate) and section 4 (possessing unaccountable wealth on behalf of a crime syndicate).
Nasim Rizvi, admitted to Bombay Hospital for treatment of cervical spondylitis, was brought in an ambulance and produced before the court on a wheel chair.
Police claimed to have recorded telephonic conversations between the accused and Karachi-based gangster Chhota Shakeel, which revealed that they had targetted film personalities for personal gains.
The conversations also allegedly revealed that extortion amounts were sent by the accused to Shakeel through hawala routes and that the film Chori chori chupke chupke was produced by Rizvi and financed by Shah at the instance of Shakeel.
Deposing before the court with a saline drip, Rizvi gave a detailed account of his ill-health and said he had been advised to undergo an urgent operation.
His lawyer Sayaji Nangare moved an application seeking permission for the same but the judge ruled that a second opinion be obtained prior to any operation.
The court appointed an expert team of doctors headed by the dean of J J Hospital to supervise the condition of Rizvi and submit periodic reports to the court.
The team has also been asked to opine whether Rizvi should undergo an operation.
The accused are charged with attempting to murder film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Rakesh Roshan and Hritik Roshan between February 1999 and December 2000.
They are also charged with conspiracy to kill top police officers like Pradeep Sawant, Pradeep Sharma and Daya Nayak.
Rizvi, Abdul Rahim and Shah are charged with entering into a conspiracy along with alleged hawala operator Bhatija to abet each other in unlawful activities in Mumbai on behalf of a crime syndicate headed by Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel.
They are charged with producing and distributing Hindi films on behalf of the crime syndicate, coercing people associated with the film fraternity, including actors, to agree to terms set by the crime syndicate and eliminating those who did not comply.
More reports on the Bharat Shah case
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