An Indian court has sent Bollywood actor Salman Khan to five years in jail as he was charged with culpable homicide which took place in 2002.
The 49-year-old actor was sentenced to five years in prison by an Indian court today. He was found guilty of culpable homicide, negligence and driving under the influence of alcohol over killing of a homeless street sleeper in 2002, Telegraph reported.
In April, his driver Ashok Singh told the court that he was the one driving and lost control of the SUV when one of its tires burst. Khan's lawyer has also claimed that the actor was not intoxicated by alcohol during the incident and he "had climbed out of the driver's seat after the accident because the passenger door was damaged," Guradian added.
In contrast to Khan's stamement, the prosecution told the court that "Khan was drunk when he rammed his SUV into a group of people sleeping on a sidewalk in September 2002, with a number of witnesses naming him as the driver of the vehicle,"
"Salman was so drunk he fell. He stood, but he fell again and then he ... ran away," one of the injured on the incident said in his police statement.
But today Judge D. W. Deshpande of the Mumbai Sessions court denied Khan's claim and found guilty in all the chargers filed against him.
"I hold that you were driving the vehicle. You were intoxicated. I also do not agree with your plea that the person who had died had received fatal injuries after a crane dropped the car on the persons underneath while removing it," the judge said.
When asked by the judge about his response on the court's verdict, he remains firm that he wasn't behind the wheels.
"But I respect your decision and accept it. My lawyer will speak on my behalf,'' he continued.
