The judge finally delivered verdict in the Salman Khan’s 2002 hit and run case. The 49 year old actor has been sentenced to five years in jail by the court in the 2002 hit and run case. Salman Khan was pronounced guilty by the sessions judge, D.W. Deshpande and sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment. His offence was: culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The judge remarked that the court after considering all evidence had come to a conclusion that Salman Khan indeed was driving the vehicle in an intoxicated state and thus all charges against him were proved.
The courtroom was packed and after hearing the verdict, his sisters who were regulars at the hearings broke down. They were by their brother’s side along with Arbaz Khan. Salman Khan who was attired in light blue denims with a white shirt on his part remained calm, but had his head bent and feet shuffling about the floor.
Salman Khan was also charged under IPC sections 134 (abetment of assault), sections 279 (rash driving) and sections of Motor Vehicle Act. If he is found guilty, then his term can very well increase to ten years.
A fresh trial of the case began last year as Salman Khan was charged under a stricter section 304 II of IPC. As per the prosecution, Salman Khan was intoxicated while driving his vehicle and hence lost control and drove over the pavement dwellers. Constable Patil, who was his bodyguard and the complainant in the case, however, expired before the retrial.
Defence lawyer, Shrikant Shivade claimed that there was some willful destruction of vital evidence in the case and also stated that fingerprint reports should have been submitted by the prosecution lawyer as that would have confirmed the man behind the wheel.
All in all 27 witnesses were examined by prosecution while Salman’s defence examined only one witness.
