Mumbai: BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar kept mum on Shaina NC meeting the actor. When contacted, Shaina NC said it was a personal meeting and nothing to do with politics. “We all respect the court’s verdict and there is no question of suggesting any support to the actor. He is a family friend and I met him due to personal relations. There is no need to bring politics into that,” she said.
Raj Thackeray’s meeting Salman also sparked rumours that the MNS’ legal cell is going to file an appeal for the actor. The party later sent a clarification that the rumours were false. “The party has not filed any appeal regarding the actor,” the clarification said. Raj Thackeray and Shaina NC are not the only politicians to have met Salman Khan. Congress MLA Nitesh Rane also met the actor at his residence.
“It was a personal visit as he is a family friend,” Nitesh Rane said. Earlier, former Congress MP Milind Deora came out in support of Salman on Twitter. “India’s judiciary may have spoken, but for those of us whose lives @BeingSalmanKhan has touched so deeply, his sentence is a major setback,” he wrote.
Reacting, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “We respect the court’s decision. But if people are meeting him it is due to personal relations.” Apart from politicians, a steady stream of the actor’s friends from the film industry poured into his home in Bandra.
Among the visitors on Thursday were director Karan Johar, writer Anees Bazmee, actor Aamir Khan, Sanjay Kapoor and his female co-stars Sonakshi Sinha, Raveena Tandon, Karisma and Kareena Kapoor, Nagma, Ameesha Patel, etc. Yesteryears actress Waheeda Rahman also visited him.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor also came out in support of Salman saying one must look at the good work he has done for the society. “We are nobody to challenge the law or speak anything about it. I have personally known Salman Khan for years. He is one of the greatest human beings. He is a great person,” Ranbir said.
“He has helped so many people through his foundation and beyond that. He has done tremendous work for the society so instead of making comment on the verdict we should be inspired by the work he has done,” the actor said.
Actress Deepika Padukone and actor Irrfan Khan chose not to comment on the matter. Meanwhile, a plea was moved in the Supreme Court on Thursday complaining against the order of the Bombay High Court granting two-day interim bail to Salman. The plea was mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu which did not give it an urgent hearing on the ground that the issue will come before the High Court on Friday.
Salman knew his action will kill people, says judge:
Actor Salman Khan had the knowledge that driving in a rash and negligent manner under the influence of liquor might result in death of people, Mumbai sessions court judge D.W. Deshpande said, convicting him of culpable homicide in the 2002 hit-and-run case.
In the verdict delivered on Wednesday, Justice Deshpande, who sentenced the popular actor to five years rigorous imprisonment, said since Salman lived in the area where the accident took place, he had the knowledge that poor people used to sleep on the pavement.
“The accused is a well-known actor and had knowledge that one should not drive vehicle without licence...he also had knowledge that one should not drive after consuming liquor and that too in late night,” he said.
“These are the basic rules. The accused is a regular visitor to 'Rain Bar' as disclosed by witnesses. Prosecution witness 17, Mark D’souza has also said that Salman regularly passed by the area where American Express laundry is located,” the judge said in the 240-page verdict.
The judgement further said the accused had the knowledge that people slept on footpath outside the shops near American Express laundry because he lived in the same area. “He was also having knowledge that he was not possessing licence to drive and that he should not drive after consumption of liquor,” said the judge.
