Gathering of frenzied mobs, adulating fans, dejected family members, eyewitnesses and a showdown between police and journalists, all happened when the Sessions Court here pronounced its verdict in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case on Wednesday.
The case against the actor had seen several dramatic twists and turns and generated considerable public interest over the years. This resonated at the Sessions court even as the trial reached its climax. Many had come to express solidarity with their favourite actor, some just to express the solidarity. Each one of them had a “Bhai” (the name Salman is popularly referred to as) story to share, even if some anecdotes gave the impression of being hyperboles.
In the run up to the pronouncement of the verdict, these “ardent devotees” recalled their meetings with Mr. Khan, his generosity and to top it all, their conviction that he was innocent.
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“He could not have done it, he is such a nice person. He has a heart of gold and has helped so many people,” was a standard response that most queries would return even as Mr. Khan’s supporters lined up outside the court waiting for an update from inside; legal scrutiny of claims made by Salman hardly interesting them. But the verdict was not just about glum and gloom as the prosecutors and investigators dubbed it as the result of a thorough investigation and a victory for justice.
If the news of the verdict brought many to the court, some learnt it upon their arrival and made their bid to attend the court proceedings or stay outside to catch a glimpse of the actor.
But perhaps crowd control was easier outside than inside where some journalists, after being told to leave the courtroom, had a heated argument with the securitymen.
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And even before the matter could even reach the High Court for the hearing of Mr. Khan’s bail application, speculations had begun about which jail he would be taken to.