Bollywood’s Kahn jailed for 5 years
SUPERSTAR Salman Khan was yesterday sentenced to five years in prison for killing a homeless man with his SUV in a 2002 hitand-run after a night out drinking at an upmarket bar.
Judge DW Deshpande found Khan guilty of culpable homicide and other charges for driving his Land Cruiser into a group of homeless men sleeping rough in suburban Mumbai, rejecting the actor’s claim his driver was to blame.
“After going through the arguments put forth by both sides, I have come to the conclusion that five years is proper punishment,” Deshpande said.
Khan has always denied being behind the wheel, but the conviction and sentence are likely to hit the career of one of the Indian movie industry’s biggest box-office stars.
The 49-year-old looked stunned and tired as the sentence was read out, sinking into his chair as his family gathered around, according to a reporter in the court.
Khan, the star of blockbusters such as Dabangg (Fearless), fled the scene of the crash that left one man dead and several others injured.
The verdict had been awaited both by his legions of fans and Bollywood studios, who stand to lose millions of dollars if they have to cancel filming for movies for which he has been signed up.
Bollywood stars took to Twitter to express their support, with Arjun Kapoor saying “It doesn’t matter what anyone or any court says, he doesn’t deserve this at any level”.
But the victim’s wife, Begum Shaikh, said she had been waiting a long time for justice, adding: “We have gone through a lot hardships.
“Everything is so expensive and we hardly have any income. My kids are always under stress.”
The trial began in earnest last year after a series of court hearings and lengthy legal hold-ups.
Several prosecution witnesses, including survivors of the crash, testified Khan was driving the vehicle when it ploughed at speed into the men sleeping on the street near a bakery in September 2002.
When Khan finally took the stand
of
in March, he told the court his driver was responsible for mounting the pavement in the upmarket suburb of Bandra West.
The driver testified in court last month he had been behind the wheel, and the crash occurred after the front left tyre burst, making steering and braking difficult.
But the judge found Khan guilty of all charges including driving while under the influence of alcohol and without a licence. Khan is expected to go to the high court to apply for bail.
Defence lawyer Shrikant Shivade argued against prison for Khan, saying the actor had given generously to charity and was suffering from a neurological condition. But prosecutor Pradeep Gharat said “fines are not enough”, adding “the punishment has to be a deterrent” to others.
A constable attached to Khan’s security detail said in his statement to police the drunk actor lost control of the car while driving at about 90km/h.
One of the sleeping labourers injured in the accident said in his statement “Salman was so drunk he fell”.
Khan’s lawyers said the star had been drinking water all evening and climbed out of the driver’s seat after the accident because the passenger side door had been damaged.
They also said the victim, Nurulah Mahbob Sharif, was killed during an operation to move the car rather than by the crash itself.
The body-building actor is no stranger to controversy off screen. He spent more than a week behind bars for killing an endangered Indian gazelle in 1998. — AFP