Mumbai : A Mumbai sessions court will pronounce its verdict on Tuesday in the hit-and-run case against actor Salman Khan who, if convicted, could face up to 10 years in jail.
The judgment in the 13-year-old case, whose trial saw many twists and turns, can make or mar the career of the actor who has investments worth Rs 200 crore riding on his forthcoming releases.
A tight security blanket will be thrown around the court when sessions judge D W Deshpande pronounces the judgment. Only the lawyers, media and the court staff will be allowed to be present.
Salman has been tried afresh under the harsher charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which is punishable with imprisonment up to 10 years. A Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate, who conducted the trial under lesser charge of rash and negligent driving, which carries a maximum punishment of two years, had in 2012 slapped the more serious offence of culpable homicide and committed the matter to the Sessions Court.
The actor has claimed he was not at the wheel at the time of the accident which killed one person and left four others injured on the night of September 28, 2002. While the prosecution has insisted that a drunk Khan was driving the Toyota Land Cruiser that ran over the victims sleeping on the pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra, the actor has claimed it was his driver Ashok Singh who was behind the wheel. Driver Singh has endorsed the defence’s claim.
The defence also argued that police had not obtained finger prints from the steering wheel to find out who was driving the vehicle. Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat has alleged that Khan was driving the vehicle after consuming ‘Bacardi rum’ at a bar, a charge denied by the actor, who said he had just a glass of water.
The defence also disputed the prosecution’s contention that there were three persons in the vehicle — Khan, his police bodyguard Ravindra Patil and singer friend Kamal Khan, insisting that driver Ashok Singh was also present.
Khan’s counsel Srikant Shivade argued that the post-mortem report of the deceased indicated that he had died after being crushed. Shivade further contended that he got killed when a crane called by the police to lift Khan’s SUV could not haul it up in one go and dropped it on the victims, causing injuries.
To nail the actor, the prosecution has heavily relied upon the statement by Khan’s bodyguard Ravindra Patil, who had said the actor paid no heed to his warning not to drive rashly.
Patil, who died during the pendency of the trial, had also said Khan was under the influence of liquor at the time of the accident. He had, however, not said a word about driver Ashok Singh being behind the wheel at the time of the accident.
The defence called Ravindra Patil a “liar” and claimed he was asleep in the vehicle when the accident occurred.
Khan’s counsel had also sought to discard Patil’s evidence as he had died and was not available for cross examination. The court had taken Patil’s evidence on record and said it will decide on its evidentiary value.
THE ‘WANTED” ACTOR:
After many twists and turns in a 13-year-old trial in the Bandra hit and run case, the ‘Rajnikanth’ of Bollywood is finally bracing for the moment of truth.
TOTAL RECALL:
It was in the wee hours of September 28, 2002, that an SUV drove over the pavement where some people were sleeping, killing one person and injuring four others. Salman, according to the prosecution, was the man in the driver’s seat.
WHAT IF GUILTY:
Salman Khan, who has Rs 200 crore riding on him, faces 10 years in jail if the sessions court, which is hearing his case, pronounces him guilty.
DEFENCE CLAIM:
It is claimed Salman was not at the wheel at the time of the accident; rather it was his driver Ashok Singh.
WILL HE BE SOON BEHIND BARS?
No, there is a big slip between the cup and the lip. The legal process is painfully slow and even if he is sentenced by the court, Salman is unlikely to be sent to jail soon. If the decision is not in his favour, he will appeal to a higher court. His battery of lawyers could keep him out of jail for another few years.
SO, WHAT NEXT:
You could gear up for Salman’s offerings at the box office this year. Two of his much-anticipated films — “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” and “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo” are nearing completion.
END OF HIS TROUBLES?
There is a long road ahead for the actor, who has a wide female fan following and is known for his witty one-liners. It will not end with the hit and run case as the Blackbuck case is still dogging him.
WILL SALMAN BRAND BE HIT?
On the contrary. A day before the verdict, fans were seen thronging his home. In the last few years, the ‘bad boy’ of Bollywood has successfully reinvented himself. His public foray into charity, Being Human, is the latest layer he has added to his larger than life persona.
PROSECUTION CASE:
It relied heavily on Khan’s bodyguard Ravindra Patil, who had said the actor paid no heed to his warning not to drive rashly. Patil, who died during the pendency of the trial, had also said Khan was under influence of liquor. He had also not said a word about driver Ashok Singh being behind the wheel.
