JUNE 10- A Mumbai sessions court on Monday deferred the order on Salman Khan’s appeal in 2002 hit-and-run case till June 24. The reason for deferring the matter is non-availability of the staff due to heavy rains.
Khan’s appeal was against a magistrate’s order for his retrial in the 2002 hit-and-run case under stringent charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Khan was earlier tried by a magistrate under lesser charge of causing death by negligence (Section 304A of IPC), that provides for a maximum punishment of two years in jail.
However, in a twist to the case, the metropolitan magistrate, after examining 17 witnesses, had brought forth the more serious charge of culpable homicide against the 47-year-old actor and transferred it to a sessions court for re-trial.
Khan’s lawyer also filed written submissions on the appeal and made oral arguments.
Public Prosecutor Shankar Erande while opposing Khan’s appeal said the magistrate had rightly invoked the charge of culpable homicide as he had committed a serious offence.
Erande argued that a prosecution witness Ravindra Patil (now deceased), a police bodyguard deployed for the actor’s security and accompanying him at the time of the accident, had warned him not to drive rashly as it could lead to a mishap.
Yet, Khan did not pay heed and drove at a great speed.
One person was killed and four others were injured when the Land Cruiser allegedly driven by Khan crushed a group of people sleeping on the pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra in the wee hours on September 28, 2002.
