The Hindu : Salman held, asked to compensate accident victims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 08, 2002

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Salman held, asked to compensate accident victims

Mumbai Oct. 7. The Bollywood star, Salman Khan, was today slapped with a tougher charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the hit-and-run case, following which he was remanded to police custody for three days.

One person was killed and four were injured in the September 28 road accident when a Toyota Land Cruiser, which was allegedly being driven by the 37-year-old actor, ran over them in Bandra.

Following a public outcry, police launched fresh investigations and the prosecution told the Bombay High Court today that it had decided to also book a case under Section 304 of the IPC, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, a non-bailable offence, forcing the star to rush to the Bandra police station and surrender.

The prosecution's decision came in the light of a public interest litigation that Mr. Khan had escaped lightly by furnishing just a bond for Rs. 950. The police were also pulled up by the Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal.

Mr. Khan was produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate, S.Y. Shisode, who remanded him to police custody till October 10. The Magistrate decided to consider his bail plea on that date after the prosecution submitted that the star needed to be interrogated. He was taken to a suburban hospital for a medical check-up prior to being lodged at the Santa Cruz police station lock-up, according to the DCP, Bipin Kumar Singh.

The High Court also ordered Mr. Khan to pay compensation of Rs. 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased, Rs. 3 lakh to those with multiple injuries and Rs. 1.5 lakh to those with simple injuries. The order came in response to a petition filed by the social activists and journalists, Nikhil Wagle, Neelu Damle and Sudha Kulkarni.

Mr. Khan's lawyer, Zamir Khan, urging for bail, told the court that investigations had been completed in the case, and the statement of the accused and the witnesses had already been recorded. The actor was ready to co-operate with the probe and, therefore, should be released on terms and conditions as the court may deem fit, he said. Opposing bail, the Special Public Prosecutor, Varsha Doshi, said the investigations were still incomplete. Police wanted to charge Mr. Khan under Section 304 part two (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and hence his custody was required. The statements of the accused and the witnesses were contradictory and, therefore, they needed to probe the matter. — PTI, UNI

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