Monday 24 June 2013

Hit-and-run case: Salman Khan may join Sanjay Dutt in jail




The verdict on the Salman Khan’s 2002 hit and run case’ will be heard today in a sessions court in Mumbai. Earlier the date was fixed for 10th June but due to heavy rains in Mumbai, the court staffs were not able to make it to court in time. So the date of hearing was postponed from 10th to 24th June. Salman is appealing against the charges of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’.
In the wee hours of 28th September 2002, Salman Khan under the influence of heavy doses of alcohol drove his Land Cruiser over the people sleeping on the pavement. One was killed and four others were severely injured.
Sessions court judge U B Hejib will be giving the verdict on the actor’s case.  Earlier lower court had given the verdict on this case, against which Salman’s lawyer appealed in sessions court. According to his lawyer, the verdict of lower court was ‘erroneous, bad in law and contrary to evidence on record’. The lawyer told that the lower court magistrate failed to appreciate the fact that the actor did not had any intention of killing people and it was a pure accident and the actor should not be punished so severely. If the actor is found guilty then he could be sent to jail for 10 years of term. The lower court magistrate examined 17 witnesses and after recording their statements; he concluded it to be a case of culpable homicide.
On the other hand, public prosecutor, Shankar Erande maintains that the charges against actor Salman Khan are well placed as the actor was under influence of alcohol while driving. In India, law does not permit ‘drinking and driving’ beyond a permissible limit.  Salman’s blood sample was tested and it was found that he had 60 mg of alcohol in his blood which is way ahead of permissible limit. Shankar also told that police bodyguard of the actor, Ravindra Patil warned the actor against his high speed driving on that ill fated day but he did not listen to his bodyguard and drove fast.  Ravindra Patil is now dead but his statement has been recorded by the police.
An activist Santosh Daundkar also sent a petition to the court requesting for allowing his lawyer Abha Singh to intervene the case from the side of Prosecution. The request was made under section 301 of CrPc. On the request of the lawyer, Salman Khan is asked by the court to be present for all his hearings.

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