The Bollywood heavyweight, after being convicted and sentenced by a district criminal court in May, has been let off by the Bombay High Court-the court found the prosecution deficient in proving that Khan was both drunk and at the wheel of the auto.
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Bollywood superstar Salman Khan got a major relief from Bombay High Court on December 10, 2015 after he got acquitted of all charges in the infamous 2002 hit-and-run case. 13 years ago on September 28, 2002, Salman Khan’s vehicle had met with an accident in suburban Bandra, killing one person and injuring four. “Salman Khan is acquitted of all charges”, news agency AFP quoted the Bombay high court judge Anil Ramchandra Joshi as saying.
Yesterday, court had questioned the statement of actor’s Police Bodyguard, Ravindra Patil.
“On the basis of evidences produced by the prosecution, [Salman Khan] can not be convicted, no matter how differently the common man thinks”, the judge said.
The prosecution can appeal against the latest verdict in the Supreme Court. “Investigation was conducted in a faulty manner with scant regard to procedure”, he said after seeking Salman’s presence in court before pronouncing the final verdict.
“We have waited for 13 long years to receive justice and finally Salman was acquitted today”. “Besides, under section 45 of Indian Evidence Act, an expert’s opinion has to be considered as a relevant fact and considered by a court”, she said referring to the chemical analyser’s report on Salman’s blood test for alcohol consumption.
Justice Joshi pointed out that police inspector Kishan Shengal, the case investigating officer, did not send the tyre for forensic examination, even when forensic experts had visited the police station to inspect the auto.
Hearing this, Khan lowered his head, sighed, and then looked up again at the judge from the witness box. He tweeted to thank his supporters: “I accept the decision of the judiciary with humility”.
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During its argument before the sessions court, the prosecution had said Ashok Singh, Salman’s driver who had claimed at a very later stage of the trial that he was driving the vehicle when the accident took place, could have gone to the media.
