Salman Khan’s conviction for a 2002 hit-and-run case has been overturned by Mumbai’s high court.
In May, a lower court convicted the Bollywood star of culpable homicide and sentenced him to five years in jail for driving over and killing a man sleeping on a pavement.
However, the appeals judge ruled there was not enough evidence.
Salman Khan is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in more than 80 Hindi movies, and has a huge fan following.
It was only when the judge insisted that Salman Khan must be present before the verdict was read out, that the actor hurried to the court in south Mumbai on December 10.
Photo Instagram
“The appeal is allowed and the decision of the trial court is quashed and set aside. Salman Khan is acquitted of all charges,” AFP quoted the Bombay high court judge Anil Ramchandra Joshi as saying.
The prosecution “failed to establish [the charges] beyond reasonable doubt”, the judge added.
Salman Khan, surrounded by his family members, broke down after hearing the verdict, the Press Trust of India reported.
Today’s verdict is the latest twist in a case that began 13 years ago when Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser car veered off the road, killing one man and seriously injuring four others.
During his trial in the lower court, Salman Khan had argued that his driver had been behind the wheel, but the judge said it was the actor who had been driving under the influence of alcohol.
Now the high court has said that key evidence – including testimony from a policeman who has since died – was not reliable.
The prosecution is likely to challenge the verdict, reports say.
Salman Khan’s sentence for a 2002 hit-and-run conviction has been suspended by Mumbai high court.
Salman Khan, 49, was convicted on May 6 by a lower court of culpable homicide.
The court sentenced the Bollywood star to five years in prison for killing Noor Ullah Khan by driving over him as he slept on a pavement. Four others were injured.
Many expected Salman Khan to be jailed on May 8 but the court extended bail. A final appeal hearing is due in July.
During his trial, Salman Khan argued his driver had been behind the wheel, but the judge said it was the actor who had been driving, under the influence of alcohol.
Within hours of his conviction on May 6, Salman Khan approached the high court and was given interim bail for two days, meaning he stayed out of jail.
Salman Khan – who had faced a possible 10-year jail term – then went home, where a number of Bollywood stars met him.
Correspondents say today’s ruling will be a huge relief for Salman Khan whose sentencing had divided Indians.
While Salman Khan’s friends and colleagues in Bollywood and many fans and others spoke out in his support, others called for him to be treated like any other citizen of the country who had committed a crime.
On May 8, Salman Khan’s fans began celebrating outside the court and outside him home.
Salman Khan is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in more than 80 Hindi-language movies.
The case has gripped Bollywood and India for years – and looks set to continue as lawyers argue in the appeal courts.
Salman Khan has been freed on bail for two days, hours after being convicted of culpable homicide in a 2002 Mumbai hit-and-run case.
The Bombay high court gave the Bollywood star interim bail for two days after his lawyers filed an appeal against his sentence. The appeal will be heard on May 8.
On May 6, a sessions court sentenced Salman Khan to five years in prison for killing a homeless man.
The man was among five people who were run over in the incident.
Salman Khan, 49, had said his driver was behind the wheel, but the judge said the Indian actor and producer was driving the car and was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
The guilty verdict is being seen as a huge setback for Salman Khan, although the jail term could have been as long as 10 years.
Photo Press Trust of India
Following the verdict, Salman Khan remained in the trial court while his lawyers went to the high court with the appeal.
The actor is now expected to go home, at least for the next two days.
Salman Khan is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in more than 80 Hindi-language films.
Several of his Bollywood colleagues spoke out in his support and expressed their sympathies. Actress Hema Malini said she was praying for him.
If Salman Khan is put behind bars, it will affect several big-ticket film projects he is involved in at the moment.
Meanwhile, one of the victims of the hit-and-run incident has said getting compensation is more important to him than Salman Khan’s conviction.
Abdullah Rauf Shaikh told Outlook magazine: “I have no hard feelings for him (Salman). I still watch his movies.”
The case has gripped Bollywood and India for years.
Late on the night of September 28, 2002, Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser hit the American Express bakery in the Bandra area of Mumbai, authorities say.
The vehicle ran over five people sleeping on the street, killing 38-year-old Noor Ullah Khan and seriously injuring three others. Another person received minor injuries.
The prosecution alleged that Khan had been driving the car while drunk.
Giving evidence in March, Salman Khan had denied he was drunk or that he was driving the vehicle.
But many witnesses disagreed.
A constable attached to Salman Khan’s security detail said in a statement to the police that the “drunk” actor had lost control of the car. The policeman died in 2007 of tuberculosis.
In April, Salman Khan’s driver told the court that he had crashed the car after a tire burst but the court did not accept that version.
Salman Khan has been sentenced to 5 years in jail for killing a homeless man in a 2002 hit-and-run driving incident in Mumbai.
The man was among five people who were run over in the incident.
The Bollywood star was charged with culpable homicide.
Salman Khan, 49, had said his driver was behind the wheel, but the judge said the actor was driving the car and was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Legal experts expect Salman Khan to appeal against the verdict.
He could have been jailed for 10 years.
Correspondents say the guilty verdict is a huge setback for Salman Khan who is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in more than 80 Hindi-language films.
On May 6, as Salman Khan drove to court with his family and friends, fans prayed for the actor’s acquittal.
Judge DW Deshpande found the actor guilty on the charge of culpable homicide.
“You were driving the car; you were under the influence of alcohol,” he told Salman Khan as soon as the court proceedings began.
Indian television channels reported Salman Khan broke down inside court as the guilty verdict was announced.
Several of Salman Khan’s Bollywood colleagues spoke out in his support and expressed their sympathies.
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