After a 13-year long court battle, Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been acquitted of all charges related to a hit-and-run incident that occurred in 2002.
At the time, it is alleged that Khan was driving under the influence of alcohol and his SUV mounted the sidewalk, running over a group of sleeping homeless men. One person was killed and four others were seriously injured.
Since then, there has been much back and forth regarding who was driving the car and whether or not the driver was impaired by drugs or alcohol. Khan has been out on bail for the intervening years, with the case having little effect on his ongoing, successful Bollywood career.
Actor Salman Khan, with his sister Alvira, leaving the Bombay High Court after he was acquitted on Thursday.
Photo Credit: The Hindu
In May of this year, a sessions court found Khan guilty of all charges including driving under the influence without a license, The Guardian reports. He was sentenced to five years in prison. However, the Bombay High Court overturned the conviction after Khan filed an appeal against the decision. The court stated that the evidence presented by the prosecution was not entirely conclusive and insufficient to prove that Khan was inebriated or even behind the wheel at all. The Hindustan Times reports that Khan became emotional in court during the decision and tweeted soon after that he accepts the decision “with humility."
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However, even as he walks away from any legal repercussions, Khan was raked over the coals in the court of public opinion. Twitter exploded with commentary, jokes and backlash as the functioning of the Indian judiciary was called into question. Using the hashtag #SalmanVerdict, some alleged the car itself was drunk, while others suggested that perhaps India invented the driverless car well before Google came up with the idea.
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With the debate raging on for over a decade, common public perception has long been that Khan is in fact responsible and being given a free pass because of his celebrity status and financial clout. The opinion among his Bollywood peers, however, seems to be quite the opposite with veteran actor Anupam Kher and director Subhash Ghai tweeting their support.
Meanwhile The Indian Express reports that the family of the deceased man is left with questions regarding whom to hold responsible for the death of their loved one, stating that the sentencing served no purpose and justice was not served.
Main Image Photo Credit: Salman Khan Official Facebook.
Dilshad Burman
Author
Dilshad Burman is an award winning TV host and Canadian media personality. Born in Mumbai, India, she was surrounded by its creative energy and grew up with a passion for music, film and television. While completing her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from The University of Mumbai, she i...
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