While hearing the criminal appeal filed by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan against his conviction in the hit-and-run case in which he has been awarded a five-year jail sentence, Bombay High Court has adjourned the appeal till July 1.
EarlierSessions Court convicted the Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the hit-and-run case five-year jail term. A man was killed and four others were wounded when the Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser ran over them while they were asleep on a pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002.
In the present Criminal Appeal, Salman Khan has challenged the findings of the trial court that he was drunk and was driving under the influence of liquor. Salman Khan pleaded that the trial court had wrongly convicted him under the culpable homicide charge, because he had no knowledge that he would meet with an accident.
In the appeal, Salman Khan has argued that the trial court had failed to appreciate the fact that four prosecution witnesses, including the investigating officer, had maintained that there were four persons present in the Toyota Land Cruiser when the accident took place and that it was the family driver Ashok Singh who was at the wheel.
Apart from being convicted of culpable homicide, Salman Khan was also found guilty of offences under Section 279 of Indian Penal Code (rash and negligent driving) and Sections 337 and 338 Indian Penal Code(causing hurt by acts endangering life or personal property of others), which prescribe six months’ jail.
Besides, he was sentenced to undergo jail for six months under sections 181 (driving without licence) and 185 (drink driving) of Motor Vehicles Act. Salman was also found guilty under Section 66 (a) and (b) of the Bombay Prohibition Act for which he received two months imprisonment and fine of Rs 500. All sentences will run concurrently.
When the present case was called for hearing, Salman Khan’s lawyer submitted before Justice A.R. Joshi of Bombay High Court that, the ‘paper book’ was not complete. ‘Paper Book’ is nothing but the compilation of evidence and documents, which is served to both the sides by the court. Court directed that, said task shall be expeditiously completed and deferred the matter till July 1, 2015.