Witness Who Said Salman Khan Was Driving ’Not Wholly Reliable’ Says Bombay High Court

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, Dec 09, 2015:  A court in Mumbai will soon announce its ruling on superstar Salman Khan’s appeal against his conviction in the 2002 hit-and-run case, in which he was found guilty of running over pavement dwellers with his SUV after a night out drinking.

The Bombay High Court has questioned the credibility of a key witness for the prosecution - Salman Khan’s bodyguard Ravindra Patil, who had said that he was driving drunk and had ignored warnings.

"If witness is partly reliable then corroboration is required. Ravindra Patil cannot be considered as a wholly reliable witness," the court said, asserting that the lower court had made a mistake by admitting his statement.
 
In May this year, the actor was sentenced by a lower court to five years in jail after being convicted of "culpable homicide not amounting to murder".

The actor then appealed against the conviction in the Bombay High Court, which suspended his sentence.

In the early hours of September 28, 2002 a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by the actor crashed into five men sleeping outside the American Bakery in suburban Bandra and ran over a group of sleeping people.

One person, Nurullah Sharif, died in the accident and four were injured - Abdullah Shaikh, Muslim Shaikh, Munnu Khan and Mohammed Kalim.

Eye-witnesses have told the trial court that the actor was seen getting out of the driver’s side of the car. However, Salman Khan’s lawyers have argued that it was driver Ashok Singh, and not the actor who was driving that night.

Salman Khan has starred in more than 100 films and television shows and is one of Bollywood’s busiest actors. He is said to have Rs. 200 crore riding on him with many films in the pipeline. He also endorses 10 brands.

 

Courtesy: NDTV