2002 hit-and-run case: Lawyers assail verdict in Salman Khan case saying it is 'shocking'
Mumbai: Legal experts on Thursday described the Bombay High Court verdict acquitting Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the hit-and-run case as shocking and said "the faith of common man in the judicial system has been shaken."
Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat, who led the prosecution in the case in the trial court, termed the high court verdict as "shocking", while leading criminal lawyer Abha Singh said "the faith of common man in the judicial system has been shaken."
"It is shocking, but I will reserve my comment till I see the entire judgement copy," Gharat, who had secured a five-year jail sentence for the actor, said.
The judgement should be challenged in the Supreme Court as the Bombay High court totally reversed the order of the trial court, Gharat said.
Lawyer Abha Singh said the High Court could have sent the case back to the sessions court to remove anomalies rather than giving benefit of technical hitches to Salman and acquitting him.
Under section 386 of CrPc, the high court has the powers to refer the case back to the sessions court to remove anomalies, Singh added.
The Maharashtra government should file an appeal in the apex court as it is a fit case to be challenged, she said.
Singh was of the view that procedural lapses cannot be used to deny justice to the victims. Even the apex court had said this in its judgements, she said.
Ashok Singh, family driver of Salman, came to the trial court 13 years after the mishap as a defence witness saying he was driving the car at the relevant time and not Salman, Singh said and asked why the actor had not disclosed this (about Ashok Singh driving the car) when his statement was recorded by police 13 years ago.
However, unlike the day the trial court sentenced Salman to five-year imprisonment in the case seven months ago, there was not much gathering of frenzied crowds around the Bombay High Court today.
Though security was tight in the premises in anticipation of a huge crowd, except for a few fans, young lawyers and curious onlookers, the scene was largely free of any buzz.
Police had deployed jawans and women constables of the Riot Control Unit at the both gates of the court located in Fort area of south Mumbai.
Excitement and suspense was palpable after Salman's arrival at the court.
A sombre mood engulfed the premises as the star, attired in a black and white checkered shirt and jeans, arrived in the afternoon from Karjat, about 100 km from Mumbai where he was shooting for a film, and walked straight into the packed courtroom with sister Alvira Khan Agnihotri, brother-in-law Aayush Sharma and long-time bodyguard Shera in tow.
