Salman hit-and-run: SC admits Maha govt plea against actor's acquittal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday admitted a petition by the Maharashtra government against the Bombay High Court verdict acquitting Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

The apex court had on May 13 had adjourned to July a petition filed by the Maharashtra government challenging the acquittal of Salman Khan in the 2002 hit and run case.

A bench headed by Justice JS Khehar also adjourned the petition filed by the widow and son of the victim in the accident, as well as a fresh petition from one of the injured, Muslim Niyamat Shaikh. |

The court said all petitions will be heard along with the appeal filed by Maharashtra. The state had argued that Salman Khan’s acquittal was a miscarriage of justice, “perverse” and a travesty of justice.

The petition said Salman Khan was drunk and was driving the Land Cruiser which killed a person sleeping on the pavement. He knew he should not be driving under the influence of alcohol.

It said the theory that the car was being driven by Mr Khan’s driver, who surfaced after 13 years, should be discarded.

In April, Salman had filed an affidavit in response in which he asserted in the Supreme Court that he was falsely implicated and framed by the Maharashtra government. Salman said he was not driving the car at the time of the accident and only his driver Ashok Singh was driving the car.

Seeking dismissal of the appeal, he said that Ashok Singh had called the police control room after the accident and even went to the police station to record his statement, alleging that the police refused to record it saying they were under pressure to arrest the actor.

Salman said there were two other people in the car besides his bodyguard Ravindra Patil and himself — his driver Ashok Singh and singer Kamaal Khan, whose testimony was never recorded. Salman has alleged that even when the case came to the HC, the prosecution claimed that Kamaal did not reply to summons.