One person was killed and four others were injured when the Toyota Land Cruiser driven by superstar Salman Khan ran over a some people sleeping on the pavement outside a bakery in Bandra West in the early hours of September 28, 2002. The case is posted for retrial this month, after all these years.

Media reports suggested that Salman Khan fled the spot after the accident and surrendered to police after eight hours.

A chemical analysis report filed in court had showed the actor had 62 mg of alcohol in his blood on the night of accident. He was allegedly warned by his bodyguard, Ravindra Patil, not to drive at 90-100 kmph as there was a turning ahead but Salman did not pay heed to the advice.

According to media reports, Patil tried to shield the actor by telling the police that it was he who was driving the car. But 64 witnesses testified and ultimately it was proved that it was Salman who had been driving.

Long trial The trial began on September 2, 2005. The Bandra metropolitan magistrate tried Salman Khan under the less severe charges of IPC 304A relating to rash and negligent driving which stipulated a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

However, on July 24, 2013, Judge U. B. Hejib ruled in a Mumbai sessions court ruled that the offence of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’ under the IPC held. . If convicted, the actor could face up to 10 years of imprisonment.

More than a month ago, the actor pleaded for a fresh trial, saying the evidence adduced earlier before a magistrate should be discarded as he was now facing a more serious charge of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder’. But the prosecution opposed the fresh trial, terming it a delaying tactic.

Longer wait Accepting the plea for retrial, Sessions Court Judge D. W. Deshpande ordered on Thursday that the trial start on December 23. “At this stage, I cannot say how long the fresh trial will take. It will depend on various aspects like the number of witnesses the prosecution decides to examine...” Salman Khan's lawyer Shrikant Shivade told media reporters.

With the disappearance of some key witnesses and several appeals filed in higher courts by the defence and the prosecution, court proceedings have already consumed 11 years.

According to industry reports, Salman Khan’s dates are booked till the end of 2015 and he has about Rs 350 crore worth of films and endorsements on his plate. The longer the case takes, the better for the actor’s ventures.

Four days after the new trial date, the actor will turn 48. There is every likelihood of the actor becoming a senior citizen by the time a judgment is pronounced.

(The author is a finance and management professional. The views are personal.)

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