The defence counsel of Salman Khan and the Maharashtra government on Monday sparred over the pace of the court hearing in the actor’s appeal with the defence accusing the State of displaying undue haste.
“Why this efficiency in this matter? Why is the State taking a special interest and saying keep the matter tomorrow or day after? I find it very strange. The State must show some sense of responsibility. Don’t be so over anxious,” senior counsel Amit Desai appearing for Mr. Khan told the Bombay High Court.
Public prosecutor Sandeep Shinde pointed out that when the appeal was admitted all parties had agreed upon an expeditious hearing.
Justice A.R. Joshi expressed unhappiness that despite the court’s order to expedite the matter, hearing had not yet begun on the appeal in the 2002 hit-and-run case, in which the actor has been sentenced to five years in jail. The court will fix the date of hearing on the appeal on July 27.
Salman Khan in the eye of the storm
Other controversies
- » Blackbuck case: He was accused of poaching two Blackbucks in 1998 near Jodhpur during the shooting of 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. He was sentenced to one year prison.
- » Comments about 26/11 attacks: “It was the elite that was targeted this time. So they panicked. Then they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before? Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much,” Salman said in 2010. He claimed that Pakistan cannot be held responsible. He later apologised.
- » Aishwarya Rai in the picture: After their presence in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, the couple’s relationship was in the eye of the storm. After they broke up in 2002, Aishwarya alleged that the actor harassed her, as he was unable to come to terms with the ending of their relationship. A case was also registered by Aishwarya’s parents.
- » Brawl with SRK: In 2008, the two actors allegedly got into a fistfight during a party. The relationship between the two stars has never been the same since then. However, the two actors got back together on a good foot in an Iftar party and SRK attended Salman’s sister’s wedding. SRK visited Salman hours before the verdict on hit-and-run case.
- » Vivek Oberoi’s allegations: The actor accused Salman of "threatening to kill him, abusing and indulging in character assassination." It was rumoured that Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai were in a relationship.
>Salman Khan convicted in hit-and-run case
Justice D.W. Deshpande held the Bollywood actor guilty of all counts rejecting his claim that his driver Ashok Singh was at the wheel when the accident took place.
The Bombay High Court on May 8, 2015 stayed the conviction and gave bail to the actor upon furnishing a bond of Rs. 30,000.
>How the hit-and-run case unfolded
From initial charges to the final verdict, here's a timeline of the case that spanned over a massive 13 years.