Hit-and run-case: Salman Khan's next hearing on August 19

A sessions court framed charges against Salman Khan

Salman Khan in the 2002 hit and run case. The court framed the actor charges of culpable homicide. The actor arrived with his two sisters, while they took their seat in the witness spot, Salman Khan stand at the accused spot. The case took a bizarre turn when the magistrate said that he was transferred in the morning. The magistrate exempted the 47-year-old Salman from daily appearances and the next hearing of the court case is declared to be on August 19th.

Yesterday, the court started its preceding but the judge postponed the hearing for today. Today is going to be a big day for Salman Khan as the decision on his case will be taken. If found guilty, Salman will face an imprisonment up to 10 years under the charges of  the culpable homicide not amounting to murder

The case dates back to September 28, 2002. Salman Khan’s Toyota Land cruiser drove over five people who were sleeping on the footpath near Hill road in Bandra. In this accident, one lost his life and four others were severely injured.
After the accident, Salman Khan drove away in his car and appeared for surrender after eight hours. Eye witnesses said that it was Salman who was driving the vehicle though Salman denies the allegation. Since, he surrendered after eight hours, he and his family maintain the incident as accident though police reported it as hit and run case. Medical report further revealed that Salman was under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place.
Earlier Salman was tried for a lesser case of negligent and rash driving which attracted a sentence of two years. He never faced the punishment. But last month sessions court judge UB Hejib pointed out that under IPC, Salman will face serious charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and would face trial for the same.
Salman’s lawyers appealed against the strict charges and said judge’s order as “erroneous, bad in law and contrary to evidence on record.” They told that the judge failed to appreciate the fact that Salman had neither the intention to kill people nor he knew that his rash driving would lead into a massive accident.
Mean while, a social activist and a lawyer Abha Singh pointed out that police is showing a soft corner for the actor and that is why the case has been dragging for 11 years. She alleged that there have been loop holes in the process of investigation. She also pointed out that police did not summon the actor on each hearing. Since then, Salman has been ordered to be present for all his hearings.
In another case, in 1998, Salman was detained in a jail for 3 consecutive days in Rajasthan after he went for hunting and killed a black buck which is an endangered species.