Salman was not drunk at the time of accident: Witness
Francis Fernandes (63), who stays near the site of the mishap, told court that he had gone to the spot after hearing shouts of people and saw the actor surrounded by a mob armed with sticks and stones.
He said he did not smell alcohol on Khan and that the actor was able to walk normally.
Francis, who was a prosecution witness, said he knew Khan since the actor’s childhood and that the latter referred to him as ‘Commander’.
According to reports, Francis told the court that Khan asked him to save him from the mobs.
A fourth witness on Monday identified Khan as the one driving the suburban utility vehicle (SUV) in the 2002 hit-and-run case.
The witness, who works at a bar, also said that Khan was drunk on the night of the incident.
Three other witnesses had earlier identified Khan in the case.
On Dec 5, 2013, the sessions court in Mumbai ordered fresh trial in the case.
Hearing Khan's plea in the case, the court had ordered all evidences and witnesses be re-examined.
The court on July 24, 2013 framed new charges against Khan in case.
According to reports, Khan was to be tried for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Khan had pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, if proven guilty, the actor might had to spend 10 years in prison.
Khan was earlier facing the trial for rash and negligent driving, which awards the convict with a maximum sentence of two years.
However, the court handling his case, in January 2013, accepted that the police provided evidence that merits trying the actor for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which awards the convict a punishment upto ten years in prison.
The case was then transferred to the sessions court as the magistrates' court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the same.
In February 2013, Khan challenged the order and filed a revision petition, pleading that the stringent charges against him be dropped.
In 2002, the actor driving a SUV had run into a bakery in suburban Bandra, and the accident took the life of one pavement dweller while injuring four persons sleeping on the pavement outside.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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