Mumbai(PTI): Actor Salman Khan has approached the Bombay High Court challenging the process (summons) issued to him by a lower court in connection with the alleged misbehaviour with a journalist in 2019.

Salman's plea will be heard by a single bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere on Tuesday.

A civil court had last month issued process (summons) to Salman and his bodyguard Nawaz Shaikh and directed them to appear before it on April 5.

The actor in his plea has sought the HC to quash the lower court order issuing process and has also sought for the process (summons) to be stayed by the way of interim relief.

Journalist Ashok Pandey had filed a private complaint before the magistrate's court seeking criminal action to be initiated against Salman Khan and Shaikh.

Metropolitan Magistrate R R Khan had on March 23 issued process to Salman and Shaikh after noting that a police report submitted in the matter stated that offences under Indian Penal Code Sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) are made out against the accused persons.

Pandey had alleged that the actor had snatched his mobile phone while cycling on a Mumbai street when some media persons started clicking his photos. The actor had allegedly entered into an argument and threatened him, Pandey said in his complaint.

The magistrate's court had earlier directed the D N Nagar police here to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.

After perusing the report, the court held that there were sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused persons.

The issuance of a process marks the beginning of criminal proceedings before a metropolitan or judicial magistrate based on a complaint lodged by an individual.

The magistrate court issues the process if it finds prima facie substance in the allegations made in the complaint. Once the process is issued, the accused persons have to appear before the court.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he will campaign for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli.

The state Congress president also expressed confidence about the INDI Alliance coming to power in the country after the polls.

"I'm going to Raebareli for (Lok Sabha) election campaigning in Uttar Pradesh. I won't be here (Bengaluru) for two days, I'm leaving today. I have requested that no one should come (near my residence) to celebrate my birthday (May 15) and there should not be any celebrations," Shivakumar said.

"There is a good atmosphere everywhere and the INDIA bloc will win, and I'm confident that we will form the government," he told reporters here.

The Raebareli seat had earlier been held by Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi, his grandmother Indira Gandhi and his grandfather Feroze Gandhi.

The constituency will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth of the seven-phase general election. Rahul Gandhi also contested the ongoing Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad segment in Kerala, which went to polls on April 26.

Shivakumar has already urged his supporters, party workers and fans not to celebrate his birthday on May 15 in view of the severe drought in the state, and also not to come to his residence or office as he will be traveling for election campaigning.

Reacting to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's reported statements regarding efforts to replicate the 'Maharashtra model' to topple the Congress government in Karnataka, he said, "I feel that his (Shinde) own government will be in trouble as things may reverse there."