Ironic Judgement on Human Rights Day: Salman Khan Set Free of All Charges in 2002 Hit-&-Run Case

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Today is Humans Rights’ Day and the cruel joke is the case which was crystal clear 13 years ago when Salman Khan allegedly ran his car over 5 people sleeping on pavements killing one and injuring four.

Bombay High Court Today Acquitted Salman Khan of All Charges in 2002 Hit and Run Case. He was released of all criminal charges that he had been held guilty of by a trial court in May. On September 28, 2002, Salman Khan’s Land Cruiser ran over 5 people killing one and injuring four others.

The court in its judgement said that the evidence are not enough to suggest that the actor was driving the Land Cruiser that night and neither was he drunk.

The lower court had convicted him and sentenced him for a five year year term but High Court today acquitted him citing that the evidences were of circumstantial nature and were not enough to prove he iwas guilty.

The court also observed that the investigation was done in a faulty manner benefiting the accused – Salman’s bodyguard Ravindra Patil, who filed the first complaint against him, was not reliable.

Constable Ravindra Patil, a prime witness in this case, who was the one who stood his ground died in 2007. During the course of the trial, Patil had to go into hiding as he feared for his own safety. In 2006 he was arrested for failing to appear as a witness and in the same year he was sacked from the police force – all because he was an honest man who stood for truth. He was found on the streets of Mumbai in 2007 with advanced TB, which led to his death.

In India, it is very hard to get justice. The investigations are botched up, witnesses turn hostile, you need money to fight case and sometimes, the witnesses are killed. Judicial corruption is one issue which is least talked of but the most rampant. We hope that the coming generation gets a better judicial system and the responsibilities lies with today’s youth.