Khan’s lawyer sought a lesser sentence in view of his humanitarian work and said the actor had paid Rs 19 lakh as compensation to the victims and would do more if ordered. “We are not running away from responsibility,” the counsel said.
Khan was charged with running over five persons sleeping on a pavement outside a bakery in Bandra in his Toyota Land Cruiser early on September 28, 2002, killing one and injuring four. Prosecutors said he was under the influence of alcohol.
Whether Khan will be sent to jail on Wednesday or he gets bail will be decided by the court.
Khan has the option to appeal in the Bombay High court against the sessions court’s verdict.
The prosecution examined 27 witnesses in the case, including eyewitnesses, persons who were injured in the accident, employees of a bar where Khan was drinking, the doctor who took a blood sample of the actor, doctors who treated the injured, forensic experts and police officers.
The judgement was announced amid tight security around the court and only lawyers, media and court staff were allowed in the courtroom.
Hours before the verdict, #WeLoveYouSalmanKhan and #SalmanVerdict were trending on Twitter. Relatives and friends from the industry, including Shah Rukh Khan, were seen visiting Khan on Wednesday night.
The actor is known for cranking out some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters and has an estimated Rs 300 crore riding on his films.
Khan had earlier said he was not at the wheel at the time of the accident and insisted his driver Ashok Singh was behind the wheel.
The prosecution said the actor ran away from the scene of the crime.
The defence argued that police had not obtained fingerprints from the steering wheel to find out who was driving the vehicle.
Khan’s lawyers contested the prosecution’s allegations and said he had been drinking water all evening. They also said the man was killed during an operation to move the car, rather than in the crash, when the bumper fell off and landed on him.
The surprise element in the trial came when Khan’s driver Ashok Singh came to the court after 12 years and deposed he was at the wheel when the accident occurred. Singh said the car’s front left tyre burst, making steering and braking difficult.
Khan has starred in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit, Maine Pyar Kiya, in the 1980s. The muscular actor is no stranger to controversy off screen and in 1998, he spent more than a week in prison for allegedly killing endangered blackbucks.
He is facing two other cases in Rajasthan for allegedly poaching endangered animals and possessing arms without a valid licence.
Today Events
Salman Khan’s lawyer presented Being Humans balance sheet asking judge to reconsider judgement #salmanverdict
*Court asks Salman what he has to say. He denied charges saying he was not driving the car.
Sohail khan and arbaz khan leaves the court room
*Salman Khan convicted of all charges in 2002 hit-and-run case, sentencing today
* Defence is arguing. Charges against Salman Khan – 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279 (rash and negligent driving) , 337 (causing minor injuries) , 338 (causing major injuries), 427 ( negligence)
11.23 am: Additional police deployment swings into action outside the court premises. Three tier bandobast in place with court room number 58 as the epicentre of the security protocol.
11.10 am: Salman Khan convicted of all 8 charges, including 304 II. Court observes Salman Khan was driving under the influence of alcohol.
11.08 am: Salman Khan in witness box. Sentencing begins.
11.01 am: The courtroom is packed to capacity.
10.55 am: Rizwan Rakhangi, the witness, is giving TV interviews. He was the manager of the bar, where Salman Khan allegedly drank before driving.
