Munbai 6 May 2015: Bringing to an end the 12-year-old trial against actor Salman Khan,who is facing trial in a Mumbai Sessions Court in connection with the 2002 Mumbai hit-and-run case. If found guilty, Salman Khan could be sent upto 10 years in prison.The judge has taken the case on priority basis and has heard 28 witnesses and the final arguments for over a week.Today Arpita Khan, Alvira Khan and Arbaaz Khan reached at Court .
10.36 am: Salman Khan reaches Sessions Court,11.00 am : Salman hit-and-run case: SalmanKhan stands outside court room, looks tense, talks to sister khanarpita
11. 07 am : Salman Khan inside Court room, proceedings of the court begins SalmanVerdict
11.08 am: Court accepts Salman Khan was driving the car and he was drunk at that time
11. 12 am: Salman Khan convicted by Court.
11.15 am: Actor SalmanKhan didn’t have license, was under influence of alcohol,was driving the car
Sessions judge DW Deshpande pronounced the judgement amid tight security around the court where only lawyers, media and court staff were allowed.
The actor has said he was not at the wheel at the time of the accident. While the prosecution has insisted that a drunk Salman Khan was driving the SUV that ran over the victims sleeping on the pavement, the actor said his driver Ashok Singh was behind the wheel.
The prosecution further 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.
Salman Khan’s lawyers contested the prosecution 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.
Today the court found him guilty on all counts, including the charge of Culpable Homicide not amounting to murder under section 304 of IPC.