Khan may soon be a free man.
By Dileep Thekkethil
![Salman Khan](http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Salman-Khan.jpg)
Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who is currently out on bail after the court convicted him in the 2002 hit-and run case, took a sigh of relief on Wednesday after the Bombay High Court observed that the prosecution has failed to prove beyond doubt that he was driving the ill-fated Toyota Land Cruiser or he was under the influence of alcohol when the vehicle rammed into people who were sleeping in the pavement, killing one and injuring four others.
While hearing the case today, Justice AR Joshi said that the testimony of late police constable Ravindra Patil, who was assigned to guard Salman Khan on the night of the fateful accident, is unreliable.
Salman Khan was inside the Land Cruiser when it rammed into the people who were sleeping on the pavement in Bandra West. The judge also noted that the prosecution has failed to prove that the incident didn’t happen due to the bursting of tyre.
Calling Patil an unreliable witness, the judge observed that it was difficult to believe that the tyre burst due to the impact during the crash.
The court also added that the police statement of Patil recorded hours after the accident had no mention about Khan being drunk. Patel came up with the claim only a few months after receiving the report of the blood samples.
Thursday will be a big day for Khan as the court will pronounce the verdict in the appeal filed by him asking to revoke the Sessions Court order convicting him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The dictation of the verdict which commenced on Monday is expected to continue till Thursday.
Soon after the accident, police constable Patel had lodged an FIR but didn’t mention a single word about the actor being drunk but in October 2002, after the report of Khan’s blood test came, Patel came with a new revelation that Khan was drunk and he had asked Khan not to take the driving seat as he could end up causing a mishap.
The judge observed today: “In view of this, he (Patil) is a “wholly unreliable witness.” Even if his statement has to be considered as partially reliable, there has to be corroboration in evidence which is not existing in this case.”
Ravinder Patil, who was the bodyguard of Khan when the incident happened, died in 2007 due to tuberculosis. However, Patel’s statement was recorded by a magistrate in which he had indicted Khan. The court later accepted Patel’s statement and summoned the actor which culminated in the lower court convicting him.
But Salman challenged the lower court’s order in the high court stating that the witness was not available for cross-examination. The high court is yet to give a final ruling on the acceptability of Patil’s statement.