Bollywood actor Salman Khan might have to face 10 years imprisonment in the 2002 hit and run case. A Mumbai Session Court has ordered a retrial of the case and he will be tried for ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder.’
The maximum punishment under this law is 10 years imprisonment. The Session Court has upheld a Metropolitan Court order invoking the ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’ charge.
The Times of India reports that Session Judge UB Hejib dismissed Salman Khan’s plea that challenged the Metropolitan Court’s order and observed that, “Having considered the totality of evidence of all the witnesses, the learned magistrate dogmatically formed an opinion. He also came to the conclusion that he (Khan) deemed to have knowledge that he must not drive the vehicle in a drunken condition and at a high speed.”
Earlier, Salman Khan was tried for a much softer charge of ‘causing death by negligence.’ The maximum jail term is two years under this law. The Times of India reports that the Bollywood superstar also faces charges under various Indian Penal Codes, including for rash driving, causing minor injuries, causing major injuries and negligence. In addition, he also has charges filed against him under the Motor Vehicles Act and other laws.
In 2002, the popular Bollywood actor allegedly drove his Land Cruiser over five homeless people who were sleeping on a pavement outside a bakery in Mumbai. One person had died and four were injured. He was allegedly driving in an inebriated state. He had surrendered eight hours after the incident.
Salman Khan is no stranger to prison. The actor was taken into police custody in 2007 after he was sentenced to five years in prison for hunting a blackbuck, an endangered animal. He spent two nights in Jodhpur prison. In this 14 years old case, he is charged under Wildlife Protection Act for hunting blackbucks and if convicted, he will be facing up to six years imprisonment.
The actor has a huge fan following and is at the peak of his career. He is considered the most saleable actor at the box office. All his recent movies have done excellent business, collecting more than100 crore (INR) at the Indian box office. His last movie Dabangg 2 collected more than 200 crore (INR) at the worldwide box office.
The retrial of the hit and run case is scheduled to begin next month, July 19, 2013. Salman Khan’s lawyer told The Times of India that they are awaiting the copy of the judge order and may file a petition challenging the order in Mumbai’s High Court.
Currently, the actor is busy shooting his new Bollywood movie Mental. Directed by his brother Sohail Khan, the movie is slated to release next year in January. The movie is the remake of a super-hit Telugu movie, Stalin. The movie’s lead actress, Sana Khan, was recently charged with attempted abduction of a minor girl. A session court in Mumbai has granted her anticipatory bail.
Source: Salman Khan Might Face 10 Years in Jail - International Business Times
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