Khan't Run Away from Law, Salman Gets 5-yr Jail Term

Mumbai court holds actor guilty in 2002 hit-and-run case, says he was behind the wheel when his vehicle mowed down a man sleeping on the sidewalk; back home after quickie interim bail

MUMBAI: When the Bombay High Court, in a rare instance, on Wednesday granted interim bail to Bollywood actor Salman Khan within hours of his conviction in a 13-year-old hit-and-run case, it was the punters who were having the last laugh. Reason: They had placed bets of about `2,000 crore on the actor’s release.

The court gave Salman a breather ‘in the interest of justice’ for two days about three hours after Sessions Court judge D W Deshpande held him guilty for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced him to five years in jail and a fine of `25,000. Salman had roped in noted senior counsel Harish Salve at short notice for securing bail from the HC. Salve argued that his client received only the operational part of the Sessions Court judgment and not the full judgment. “One can’t be put in jail with an order,” he said.

The HC, which will be on summer vacation from May 9 to June 3 and during which it will take up only matters of urgent nature, will hear Salman’s bail application on Friday. In that hearing, it is likely to rule whether he will be sent to jail.

The court’s verdict on Wednesday left lawyers surprised. According to procedure, a petitioner has to produce a copy of the judgment while filing an appeal against a lower court order. In Salman’s case, his bail application was filed without a copy of the lower court order.

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