Salman hit-and-run case verdict today

Mumbai:  A Mumbai sessions court will deliver its verdict in the retrial of the 2002 hit-and-run case involving actor Salman Khan on Wednesday.

If convicted, Salman, who stood trial for the grave charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, could face a maximum jail term of 10 years.

Additional sessions judge D W Deshpande will deliver the verdict.

On September 28, 2002, Salman, then 36, reportedly rammed his Toyota Land Cruiser Lexus onto the pavement of American Express Bakery at Hill Road-St Andrews Road junction in an inebriated condition, killing one and injuring four others.

Salman’s defence, however, has been that he was not drunk and was not driving the car, and instead, a family driver –Ashok Singh–was behind the wheels. The defence also claimed that even Singh was not at fault as the car veered off due to a tyre burst. 

The most crucial aspect of the case was police constable Ravindra Patil, the police bodyguard attached to the actor, who is the first complaint in the case and the main eyewitness. However, he passed away during the course of the trial.

While the defence team is heavily relying on Singh, the prosecution has testimony of 27 witnesses and at least a dozen of them have given evidence against the actor.

Meanwhile, tight security arrangements have been made at the court premises in the Fort-Kalaghoda-Oval Maidan area. Salman, along with his family and friends, is expected to be present in the courtroom. 

* Big amount riding: Rs 200 to 300 crore ride on Salman Khan.

* Films in Hand: Kabir



Khan’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ and Sooraj Barjatya’s ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ are in the last schedule of shooting.

* Films Planned: Remake of 1983 blockbuster Hero by his own production company, ‘Dabangg3’ – a part of the Dabangg series, which is a home production and Sultan to be made by Yash Raj Films. Anees Bazmee’s ‘No Entry’ sequel and ‘Kick’ sequel were being planned.

* More trouble: The dark clouds of Blackbuck case is still hovering over him. The actor is facing trial for hunting a black buck during the shooting of ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ in 1998.

Director Kabir Khan, who was in Kashmir to shoot his upcoming film “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, which stars Salman Khan, suffered a heart attack on Monday night. Reports said Khan was in his hotel room in south Kashmir’s hill resort Pahalgam, 100 km from here, when he suffered the heart attack, reports DHNS from Srinagar He was immediately shifted to SK Institute of Medical Science in Srinagar, where from he was reportedly airlifted to Delhi on Tuesday.

The film's shooting has been punctuated with health issues of the cast and crew. Last December, a light man named Munib Ansari had reportedly died due to cardiac arrest at ND Studio in Mumbai while shooting for it.

Then, on April 24, Salman Khan, who is currently on a 40-day shooting schedule in Kashmir for the last leg of “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, apparently fell ill and was diagnosed with ear infection and sinusitis.

Produced by Sunil Lulla, “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and is slated to release on July 16.