Khan sentenced to 5 years in jail
MUMBAI, INDIA One of India’s biggest and most popular movie stars, Salman Khan, has been found guilty of running over five men sleeping on a sidewalk, killing one in a hit-and-run case that has dragged through the courts for more than 12 years.
A Mumbai court on Wednesday convicted Khan of culpable homicide, saying all charges against him had been proved, Press Trust of India said.
Khan was sentenced to five years in prison, but is expected to appeal. The 49-year-old actor also faces charges of negligent driving and causing grievous harm to the victims.
The prosecution told the court that Khan was drunk when he rammed his SUV into a group of homeless people sleeping on a sidewalk in September 2002.
Khan has all along denied that he was behind the wheel. In April, his driver told the court that he was driving the vehicle when the accident occurred. Ashok Singh said he lost control of the SUV when one of its tires burst.
But Judge D.W. Deshpande dismissed the actor’s claim and accused him of driving the car under the influence of alcohol and fleeing after the accident.
Khan is one of Bollywood’s most popular stars and has acted in more than 90 Hindi-language films in his 27-year career.
Huge crowds had gathered outside Khan’s house in south Mumbai for a glimpse of the star as he emerged from his apartment block surrounded by security guards.
Scores of television crews and reporters followed the actor’s car and thronged the building as the court gave its verdict in a case that has been closely watched by millions of Khan’s fans in India and abroad.
He is well known as a generous star, who in recent years has turned to philanthropy.
He has established a charitable trust called Being Human, which works for education and health care for the poor.