Salman’s Acquittal ‘Wishy-Washy’: Attorney General to SC

Maharashtra AG asks SC to reverse the acquittal of Salman Khan by Mumbai HC, calling the decision ‘Wishy Washy’.

Salman Khan heading towards Bombay High Court in December. (Photo: PTI)

The Maharashtra government, on Friday, told the Supreme Court that the Bombay High Court verdict acquitting Bollywood star Salman Khan in the 2002 accident case was “wishy-washy” and sought its reversal.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi took the apex court bench of Justice JS Khehar and Justice C Nagappan through the details of the case and the proceedings that happened before the trial court. The apex court said since it was a matter of acquittal, they will examine the evidence before deciding to issue a notice to Salman Khan.

Assailing the High Court verdict, Rohatgi told the apex court that its finding that Salman was not driving the vehicle at the time of the accident is suspicious. He also questioned the surfacing of Salman’s driver in the case after a gap of 13 years.

Asking Rohatgi to apprise the court on the material in support of their plea for reversal of acquittal order, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing to 12 February.

Salman Khan’s counsel, Kapil Sibal, told the court to direct the summoning of the translated version of the trial court record in the case to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court admitted Salman Khan’s caveat in January, urging it to grant him a hearing before passing any order on the Maharashtra government’s appeal in the 2002 accident case, in which one person was killed and four others were injured.

Salman Khan was found guilty by a sessions court on 6 May 2015 and convicted for, among others, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and sentenced to five years in jail for the accident, in which one person was killed and four others injured.

However, on 10 December 2015, the Bombay High Court acquitted him of all charges and quashed the lower court verdict.