Salman Khan accident case: Timeline

The timeline of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan‘s 2002 accident case:

December 10: Salman Khan acquitted of all charges in the September 2002 accident case; the Bombay High Court queashes lower court verdict, sets it aside.

December 7, 2015: Justice A.R. Joshi of the Bombay High Court completes hearing on the appeal and begins dictating his judgment in open court.

May 8, 2015: Bombay High Court suspends five-year sentence handed to Salman Khan, enlarges him on bail pending disposal of his appeal challenging the sessions court order.

May 6, 2015: Salman Khan files appeal against his conviction and five-year sentence awarded by the sessions court; is granted two-day bail by Bombay High court.

* May 6, 2015: Additional Sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande pronounces Salman Khan guilty in the 2002 accident case; sentences him to five years in jail.

Charges against Salman:

Indian Penal Code: Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) which attracts up to 10 years in prison; Section 279 (rash and negligent driving) which stipulates six months in jail; Sections 337 & 338 (causing hurt by act endangering life and causing grievous hurt) with punishment up to two years; Section 427 (causing damage to property) with maximum punishment of up to two years.

Motor Vehicles Act: Sections 34, 181 (driving vehicle in contravention of rules) and 185 (driving at great speed after consuming alcohol) with cancellation of driving licence.

Bombay Prohibition Act: Driving under the influence of alcohol carries maximum of six months in jail.

* April 20: Judge Deshpande sets May 6, 2015, for verdict.

Defence counsel Shrikant Shivade forcefully argues against prosecution charges and closes arguments.

* March 25: Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat closes his case against Salman after examining 27 witnesses during the re-trial.

* April 2014: First witness Samba Gowda deposes in the re-trial, which continues before the sessions court with regular hearings.

* December 2013: Mumbai sessions court orders fresh trial against the actor and recording of fresh evidence of all witnesses who had also deposed before the Metropolitan Magistrate court.

* July 23, 2013: Sessions court frames charges against Salman, invoking the enhanced charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

* June 24, 2013: Sessions court rejects Salman’s application, paving the way for applying the stringent section.

* March 2013: Salman files a revision petition with the sessions court challenging the lower court order.

* December 2012: Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court rules that a case has been made out under Section 304 and commits the trial to the sessions court.

* March 2011: The prosecution seeks enhanced charges against Salman.

* May 2007: Chemical analysis report suggests Salman was drunk at the time of the accident.

* October 2006: Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court frames charges against the actor under Section 304 and other sections of the IPC.

* December 2003: In a breather for Salman, the Supreme Court rules that the magistrate should, after perusal of all the evidence, decide whether to invoke harsher sections of IPC.

* October 2003: State challenges in the Supreme Court the June 2003 Bombay High Court order that Section 304 is not applicable in this case.

* May 2003: Court rejects Salman’s application and asks the magistrate court to frame charges under Section 304.

* March 2003: Salman challenges the application of Section 304 in the sessions court.

* October 24, 2002: Salman arrested for the second time; secures bail from sessions court.

* October 21, 2002: The Bandra police file charge sheet, slapping Section 304 on Salman.

* September 28, 2002: Around 2 a.m., Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser rams into a roadside bakery in Bandra West, close to his Galaxy Apartments seafront home. Five people sleeping on the pavement are injured, one of whom later dies.

Later that afternoon, Salman arrested by Bandra police and enlarged on bail by a Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court.

Inputs by IANS