Salman sentenced to five years in jail, but gets interim bail for two days

Mumbai, May 6:

Hours after a lower court here sentenced him to five years in jail for a hit and run accident that killed one man in 2002, Bollywood actor Salman Khan was granted interim bail for two days by the Bombay High Court on Wednesday.

Salman’s counsel had moved the High Court for bail immediately after the sessions sentenced him to five years in prison in the case.

The bail means Salman will stay out of the Arthur Road jail for at least the next two days.

Earlier in the day, Additional Sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande had announced the verdict against Salman at a packed court here.

The quantum of sentence follows the court holding Salman guilty in the case and arguments between the prosecution team led by special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat and the defence team led by Shrikant Shivade on the quantum of sentence.

Judge Deshpande found Salman guilty of most of the charges in the September 2002 accident in which one person was killed and four injured.

Earlier Wednesday, a scuffle erupted between Mumbai police personnel and some members of the large media contingent outside the court complex, as the latter were prevented from entering the premises.

Heated arguments between the agitated media personnel and police finally saw the security shutting the doors of the sessions court No.52 where arguments between the prosecution and defence lawyers were underway before Judge Deshpande.

Though officials remained tight-lipped, soon after sentencing Salman is likely to be taken into police custody and lodged in a high security prison.

Earlier reports said the judge would pronounce the sentence on Thursday.

Additional Sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande reading out his judgment said “All charges have been proved against the actor“.

“You were driving the car, without a licence and you were under the influence of alcohol,” the judge told Salman, who was present in the court.

The actor had earlier denied the charges and told the court that he was not driving the car. But the court rejected that statement.

On September 28, 2002, Salman’s vehicle Toyoto Land Cruiser rammed into a roadside bakery in Bandra West, close to his seafront home in Galaxy Apartments. Four persons sleeping on the pavement outside the bakery were injured. One of them later died.

Salman was arrested the same day by the Bandra police and given bail by a Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate’s court.