An Indian judge convicted Wednesday Bollywood superstar Salman Khan of killing a homeless man in a 2002 hit-and-run after a night out drinking, rejecting his claim that his driver was to blame.
D.W. Deshpande found Khan guilty of culpable homicide after driving his Toyota Land Cruiser into a group of homeless men sleeping rough in suburban Mumbai after spending the evening in an upmarket bar.
One man was killed and several others were injured in the incident.
Khan, the star of blockbusters such as "Dabangg" (Fearless), looked dejected after hearing the verdict, his eyes downcast, according to an AFP reporter inside the court room.
Khan had always denied being behind the wheel, but now faces up to 10 years in prison, potentially bringing the career of one of the Indian movie industry's biggest box-office stars to a shuddering halt.
The trial began in earnest last year after a series of court hearings and legal hold-ups.
A string of prosecution witnesses, including survivors of the crash, testified that Khan was driving the vehicle when it ploughed at speed into the men sleeping on the street near a bakery in September 2002.
When 49-year-old Khan finally took the stand in March, he pleaded not guilty and told the court that his driver was responsible for mounting the pavement in the upmarket suburb of Bandra West.
The driver testified in court last month that he had been behind the wheel, and that the crash occurred after the front left tyre burst, making steering and braking difficult.
But the judge on Wednesday found him guilty of all charges including driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Khan is likely to appeal the verdict, while the court was now hearing submissions from his lawyers on the length of sentence to be decided by the judge.
A constable attached to Khan's security detail said in his statement to police that the drunk actor lost control of the car while driving at about 90 kph (55 mph).
"The people were sleeping on the footpath. Salman and (his cousin) Kamaal ran away from the spot," said the constable, who died in 2007 of tuberculosis.
One of the sleeping labourers injured in the accident said in his statement that "Salman was so drunk he fell. He stood but he fell again and then he... ran away".
'Only drinking water'
Khan's lawyers said the action and romantic comedy star had in fact been drinking water all evening and had climbed out of the driver's seat after the accident because the passenger side door had been damaged.
They also said that the victim, Nurulah Mahbob Sharif, was killed during an operation to move the car, rather than the crash itself, when the bumper fell off and landed on him.
Television news channels carried virtually non-stop coverage on Wednesday, with camera crews parked outside Khan's home and surrounding the court.
The Times of India, which carried the front-page headline "Judgement Day for Salman", said the verdict would "bring the curtains down on a case that has riveted the media's attention for 13 years".
Khan, the son of a respected film writer, has starred in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit "Maine Pyar Kiya" (I Fell in Love) in the 1980s.
But the body-building actor is no stranger to controversy off screen and he spent more than a week behind bars for killing an endangered Indian gazelle in 1998 during a hunting trip.
The verdict has been keenly awaited both by his fans and Bollywood studios who stand to lose millions of dollars if they have to cancel filming for movies he has been signed up to.
One report by the Press of Trust of India said more than $31 million was riding on the verdict.
If he were to be jailed, Khan would become the second big-name Bollywood actor to be imprisoned in the last two years. Sanjay Dutt, the star of a series of gangster movies, is behind bars over possession of weapons linked to several bombings in Mumbai in 1993.
AFP
Wed May 06 2015
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan faces a maximum 10 years in prison after being found guilty of a 2002 hit and run case. - File pic
AWANI Ringkas: Kelapa diletak di bawah Lembaga Koko Malaysia
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Kejadian tembak di Selama, polis tahan pemilik kebun
Polis menahan seorang lelaki tempatan kerana disyaki terlibat kes tembakan sehingga menyebabkan seorang individu cedera di Kampung Sumpit Beras, Rantau Panjang dekat Selama Jumaat lepas.
#AWANIRingkas 6 Oktober 2024 | 9 PM
Berikut merupakan rangkuman berita setakat 9 malam, 6 Oktober 2024
1️⃣ Wanita Palestin mohon maaf cetus kekecohan
2️⃣ Kelapa diletak di bawah Lembaga Koko Malaysia
3️⃣ Kedai runcit simpan, cuci sayuran dalam tandas sebelum dijual
#awaniringkas
1️⃣ Wanita Palestin mohon maaf cetus kekecohan
2️⃣ Kelapa diletak di bawah Lembaga Koko Malaysia
3️⃣ Kedai runcit simpan, cuci sayuran dalam tandas sebelum dijual
#awaniringkas
Kalau mahu lindungi gajah, selamatkan kami dulu
Lebih seribu penduduk di tiga kampung di Hulu Terengganu semakin dihimpit ketakutan apabila kampung mereka bagaikan bertukar menjadi perkampungan gajah.
Kabinet setuju komoditi kelapa di bawah Lembaga Koko Malaysia - TPM Ahmad Zahid
Jemaah Menteri bersetuju menstrukturkan Lembaga Koko Malaysia dengan memasukkan komoditi kelapa di bawah agensi itu.
Operasi larangan merokok di premis, Akta 852 berkuatkuasa
Akta 852 atau Akta Kawalan Produk Merokok Demi Kesihatan Awam 2024 mula berkuatkuasa pada 1 Oktober 2024.
Susulan itu, Kementerian Kesihatan kini giat melakukam pemantauan dari premis ke premis sejak Akta 852 mula dikuatkuasakan.
Hari ini, Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad sendiri turun padang menyertai operasi di Puncak Alam, Selangor.
Susulan itu, Kementerian Kesihatan kini giat melakukam pemantauan dari premis ke premis sejak Akta 852 mula dikuatkuasakan.
Hari ini, Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad sendiri turun padang menyertai operasi di Puncak Alam, Selangor.
Wartawan Malaysia nyaris terkandas, protes tutup jalan
Kumpulan wartawan Malaysia termasuk Astro AWANI yang berada di Islamabad bagi membuat liputan Lawatan Negara Perdana Menteri Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ke Pakistan, hampir terkandas malam Sabtu.
21 warga Bangladesh ditahan, menyamar jadi atlet untuk masuk Malaysia
Jabatan Imigresen menumpaskan sindiket menyeludup masuk warga asing dengan menyamar sebagai ahli sukan dengan penahanan 21 warga Bangladesh di Maluri, Kuala Lumpur, Khamis lepas.
21 warga Bangladesh ditahan, menyamar atlet masuk Malaysia
Jabatan Imigresen menumpaskan sindiket menyeludup masuk warga asing dengan menyamar sebagai ahli sukan dengan penahanan 21 warga Bangladesh di Maluri, Kuala Lumpur, Khamis lalu.
Ruang tambahan latihan bahasa Cina dan Tamil
Kerajaan bersetuju supaya ruang tambahan bagi latihan bahasa Cina dan Tamil diperbanyakkan di institusi perguruan, selain daripada bahasa kebangsaan.