Hit-and-run case: 'Salman falsely implicated by a tutored witness'

A crucial eye-witness produced by the prosecution in the 2002 hit-and-run case involving Salman Khan implicated him falsely with a tutored testimony, the actor's lawyer on Friday argued before the Bombay high court.

A crucial eye-witness produced by the prosecution in the 2002 hit-and-run case involving Salman Khan implicated him falsely with a tutored testimony, the actor's lawyer on Friday argued before the Bombay high court.

Khan was sentenced to five years in prison by the sessions court in May. He is accused of running over his car on people sleeping outside a shop in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002, killing one and injuring four.

The actor, on bail, has filed appeal in the HC.

Khan's lawyer Amit Desai on Friday said Muslim Shaikh, who was among the injured, told the magistrate in 2006 (during the first trial) that he had not seen anyone getting down from the car after the accident.

But he told the sessions court during the fresh trial in 2014 that he saw Salman Khan getting down, Desai said.

"It appears that with age, memory becomes sharper," the lawyer quipped.

The case was heard afresh by the sessions court after the charge against Khan was upgraded to culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

"A key question still remains to be answered...who was driving the car," Desai added.

Justice AR Joshi asked the defence and also prosecutor S S Shinde to prepare a list of witnesses in a tabular form and their respective statements, posting the next hearing to August 25.