Salman Khan Hit & Run appeal: Salman not behind the wheel, says lawyer

Bollywood superstars Salman Khan‘s hearing on the Hit & Run case has ensued in Bombay High Court on July 30th, with the Dabangg Khan’s lawyer holding on to his statement that the actor was not in the driving seat but it was his driver who was behind the wheel. The hearing in the court is regarding a plea filed by Salman Khan against his five-year sentence in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

Salman’s lawyer Amit Desai said, “The lower court had wrongly rejected Salman’s defence that it was his driver Ashok Singh and not he who was driving the car at the time of mishap. The prosecution too failed to prove that Khan had taken drinks before the accident. There were three witnesses – Patil, singer Kamaal Khan and Ashok Singh (driver) – who were in the car when the mishap occurred. But police chose to rely only on Patil’s statement though he was dead and hence not available for cross-examination.”

Desai further added that, “A burst tyre caused the accident. The prosecution too failed to prove that Salman had consumed drinks at two bars before the accident. All that a waiter at the bar had said was he had seen the actor holding a glass of colourless liquid; it could be just water.”

Justice A R Joshi today also dismissed an intervention application filed by Sushilabai Patil, mother of Ravindra Patil, the police bodyguard of the actor who was eye-witness to the mishap. Ravindra Patil died during the trial in 2007. The judge imposed certain restrictions on the media. The media cannot make audio or video recording of the court proceedings and comment on the arguments; it should report only facts.

The hearing would continue on August 5.