An Indian court has sentenced Bollywood
star Salman Khan to five years in jail for killing a homeless man in a 2002
hit-and-run driving incident in Mumbai.
The man was among five people who were run
over in the incident. The actor was charged with
culpable homicide.
Khan had said his driver was behind the
wheel, but the judge said the actor was driving the car and was under the
influence of alcohol at the time.
Legal experts expect the actor to appeal
against the verdict.
Khan's lawyers have already applied for
bail in the Bombay high court which is expected to hear the case shortly,
reports say. The actor remains in the trial court while his fate is decided.
Correspondents say the guilty verdict is a
huge setback for Khan although he could have been jailed for 10 years.
The actor is one of Bollywood's biggest
stars, appearing in more than 80 Hindi-language films. Several of his films,
including Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger, Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aap
Ke Hain Kaun, have been huge commercial hits.
Within minutes of entering the courtroom,
the judge informed Khan that he was guilty.
After that, for the next three hours as the
lawyers from both the sides presented their arguments over his punishment,
Khan, who was dressed in a white shirt, remained calm and composed.
His family and friends inside the court
were hoping that he would get a jail term of three years or less.
But when the judge sentenced him to five
years in prison, Khan's expression changed immediately.
And even as his sisters tried to comfort
him, the actor looked visibly upset.
Several of his Bollywood colleagues spoke
out in his support and expressed their sympathies. Actress Hema Malini said she
was praying for him.
If the actor is put behind bars, it will
affect several big-ticket film projects he is involved in at the moment.
Justice after 13 years?
September 2002: Salman Khan's car runs over
five people sleeping on a Mumbai street, killing a homeless man and injuring
four others
October 2002: Khan charged with culpable
homicide not amounting to murder - arrested but granted bail
May 2003: Court rejects his plea to drop
culpable homicide charge
June 2003: Bombay high court drops culpable
homicide charge; actor is then tried for rash and negligent driving
October 2007: Prime witness, a constable who
served in his security detail, dies
March 2015: Khan tells the court he was not
drunk and his driver was behind the wheel
May 2015: Khan found guilty, sent to jail
for five years
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