State to file SLP in Salman Khan case

The state government will file a special leave petition (SLP) challenging the Bombay high court judgment in actor Salman Khan’s hit-and-run case within a week. The Bombay high court had acquitted the actor from the case.

A highly-placed source from law and judiciary department revealed that directions have been issued to the state lawyers to file the SLP. The government is likely to challenge the verdict on its merits. The sources added that by law the government can challenge the HC verdict within 90 days. The official pointed out that the sessions court had admitted the statement of late police constable Ravindra Patil, while the HC in its verdict set aside the same statement of Patil.

Justice A.R. Joshi in his verdict had focussed heavily on the loopholes in the police investigation and the delay in the collection of blood samples.

Justice Joshi had acquitted Salman Khan of all the eight charges including section 304-II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Indian Penal Code 337 and 338 (rash and negligent driving).

Earlier in May 2015 sessions court Judge D.W. Deshpande had held Khan guilty and sentenced the actor to five years in jail. The case relates to September 2002 in which one person sleeping on the pavement outside a bakery in suburban Bandra was mowed down and some others injured after the actor’s car ploughed through the pavement that night.

Bombay high court Justice A.R. Joshi had on December 10, 2015 acquitted actor Salman Khan of all the charges in the September 2002 hit-and-run case. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had already announced that the state government would appeal against the HC verdict acquitting him.