The verdict in the Salman Khan hit and run case once again shows that no one can escape the law ( >Editorial, May 7 ). Like many other cases involving political bigwigs and the high and mighty, this case too has been dragging on for far too long and it is good that it has come to a logical end. It is also a reference point on how a case of this nature has to be handled.
Tharcius S. Fernando,
Chennai
In its verdict against Salman Khan, the system has indicted an influential person. One hopes that the judgment will also lead to a serious debate on road safety and legal reforms.The reality in India is that Indian roads are designed in a manner that facilitates chaotic driving and, consequently, accidents.
Old or young, with or without a driving licence, drive carelessly. Its traffic police are overworked and ill-equipped to rein in errant motorists. To top it all, a VIP culture that allows the rich and the famous to believe they are above the law, has taken root. One should not be surprised if, despite his conviction, the actor secures bail and resumes normal life while his appeals do the rounds of higher courts.
Meghana A.,
New South Wales, Australia
The argument by some that Salman’s numerous acts of charity must also figure in the judgment is deeply offending. Charity is not a perfume with which to wash away one’s sins. What are his fans and supporters thinking? That all this is a scene in a Bollywood blockbuster and that a hero will always remain a hero?
Nino Raju,
New Delhi
It is surprising that the saga of Salman Khan merited editorial comment. No doubt Mr. Khan is extraordinary but it is his wealth and immense influence that ensured that this case went on for years while he was able to thrive to the maximum of his potential and using some of the best years of his youth even as the desperate families of the victims wallowed in abject poverty.
That Mr. Khan’s social services and other activities were motivated by his need to build public sympathy which he thought would help mitigate the rigour of his punishment is evident from the horrendous fact that he, true to Bollywood tradition, persuaded his driver to take it upon himself the guilt, no doubt which must have been ensured at a huge consideration. Perjury apart it is hard to believe a man of such desperate character is capable of respecting humanity much less serve it without ulterior motives. It would have been in the fitness of things had the court fined the actor more heavily and given the proceeds to the families of the victims.
P. Krishnan Sai,
Puttaparthy
all praise and accolades go to the mubai sessions judge for having handed down a judgement on salman khan, a noted and most influential film-star, sentencing him to five years ri thereby upholding the rule of law with a strong message in tune with the supreme court observation that law should be equal for celebrities and ordinary citizens alike in serious offences like deaths.
