Salman Khan sentenced to five years in prison in hit-and-run case

MUMBAI:
As proceedings commenced in a Mumbai sessions court on Wednesday, the judge announced a five-year sentence in Salman Khan's hit-and-run case which found him guilty of culpable homicide, with just a two-day bail granted by Mumbai's High Court, Express News reported.

With eight charges against Khan, including culpable homicide and a non-bailable offence, the court earlier deemed him guilty and has sentenced him to five years in prison.

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Salman's lawyers prepared his bail appeal and the high court has granted a two-day bail for the time being.

A senior lawyer who was in attendance of the proceedings expressed her satisfaction at the decision.

As the decision was announced, Salman was said to have broken down in court.



"Justice has been served," she said after the decision was ruled.

"People thought India was a country where if you have money, you can get away with murder. However, today's decision has proven otherwise," she concluded.

Preparations are underway and Khan will be shifted to a local prison in a van.



It was further reported that Khan would be taken to JJ Hospital where a routine medical check-up would be conducted.

Prior to the announcement of the decision, Khan's lawyers, according to India Today presented in court a medical certificate which revealed that he suffers from a heart condition.

Additional Sessions Judge DW Deshpande delivered the verdict and stated that "You were driving the car." He added that Salman was under the influence of alcohol and behind the wheels without a licence and that all charges stood proven according to The Indian Express. 

"What do you have to say? Maximum sentence of 10 years?" Deshpande questioned, to which Salman responded "You are the judge; whatever you say is correct."

As the verdict was revealed, one of the victim's in the case--Abdullah Shaikh-- said that punishing Salman would be of no use when he spoke to NDTV.



"We want compensation but don't want him (Salman Khan) punished. Even if he gets some punishment, it won't give back our 13 years," said Shaikh, who lost his leg.

Twitterati revealed that Salman had tears in his eyes as the judge announced the verdict.

Accused of losing control of his SUV following a night of drinking rum and cocktails, the Kick star in 2002 drove over homeless people and fled the scene.

Read: I am Hindu and Muslim: Salman Khan

It was later revealed that his misconduct behind the wheel, led to the death of one of the homeless people.

A constable attached to Khan's security detail said in his statement to police that the drunk actor lost control of the car while driving at about 90 kilometres an hour.

"The people were sleeping on the footpath. Salman and (his cousin) Kamaal ran away from the spot," the constable, who died in 2007 of tuberculosis, said.



One of the sleeping labourers injured in the accident said in his statement that "Salman was so drunk he fell. He stood but he fell again and then he... ran away."



After years of court hearings and legal hold-ups, the final verdict decided that the 49-year-old actor is guilty.

Industry expert Amod Mehra had earlier informed that there was no panic in the industry as Indian laws pave way for bail and that "nobody can imagine Salman lodged behind bars."


Read: Undeterred by legal troubles, Salman Khan continues to help the needy

The guilty verdict and a possible ten year sentence would result in an impact of over Rs200 crore to the industry.



Mandhana Industries shares already fell 3.6 per cent following the verdict, while Eros International shares fell by 4 per cent.

The body-building actor is however, no stranger to controversy off screen and in 1998 he spent more than a week in prison for killing endangered Indian gazelles.



Read: Salman Khan faces hit-and-run case verdict

Sources revealed that Salman Khan was paid a visit by Shahrukh Khan a day prior to the judgement where he offered his best wishes ahead of the verdict.

Twitter reacts

Before Khan departed for the sessions court in Mumbai, many had taken to social media making #IStandWithSalman a new trend on Twitter.

Members of the film fraternity, Salman's fans and people across the world are sharing their views about the sentence across social media.

In support of her brother, Arpita Khan Sharma expressed her sympathies on the verdict.

A more comedic reaction