New Delhi: A Mumbai court has ordered fresh trial in the Salman Khan hit-and-run case. The court has ordered that all evidence and witnesses be re-examined. The hearing in the case will begin from December 24.
Earlier a court had said that Khan be tried for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which attracts ten years of imprisonment. The actor had pleaded not guilty in court. It came as a setback for Khan's lawyer because he was earlier tried for rash and negligent act causing death, under section 304 A of IPC, which attracts two years of imprisonment.
On September 28, 2002, Khan's car ran into some people sleeping on a pavement in Bandra, Mumbai. One person got killed while four got injured in this accident. A Bandra court framed charges against Khan on October 6, 2002 while the trial began on September 2, 2002.
Later, only one out of the 39 witnesses turned up in court. On June 24, 2013, the actor was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and now the court has ordered fresh trial in the case.
Currently, Khan is among the top performing actors in the Hindi film industry. His recent films have met with unprecedented success, and thus he is a favourite with the producers.
If reports are to be believed then his dates are booked till the end of 2015, and at least Rs 350 crore worth of films and brand endorsements are relying on his shoulders. Salman was among the top advance tax payers in Bollywood in 2013. As per a report on India Today portal, Salman paid Rs 11 cr as advance tax in 2013. Forbes' list of top earning Indian celebrities gave him the third position (Rs 144.20 crore) for a period between October 2011 and September 2012. His popularity is on all time high now, and his dates are booked till 2015, so he is expected to earn close to Rs 300 crore in next two years.
His next release is 'Jai Ho', which is scheduled to be released on January 24, 2014. The first look of the film is yet to come, but it's touted as the next mega hit by industry experts. 'Jai Ho' is, in a way, Salman's home production as it is produced and directed by Sohail Khan.
The next film in line is Sajid Nadiadwala's 'Kick', which is expected to hit the screens on July 27, 2014. The film is making buzz even when the release is at least 8 months away, and the promoters are leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to more potential audience, which in turn increases the overall budget of the film. The film also has Randeep Hooda and Jacqueline Fernandez, and is likely to have a budget of Rs 70 crore sans the publicity.
Khan's three films are lined up for release in 2015. Anees Bazmee, known for making mega budget films, is coming up with 'No Entry Mein Entry' with Khan in the lead. It will be released on January 23, 2015. Kabir Khan and Sorraj Barjatya's yet-to-be titled films will also be released in 2015. There are rumours that Salman has also signed a film with Prabhudeva.
Salman is turning 48 on December 27 which means he is going to be seen as the lead man for not more than 4-5 years. The actors of commercial cinema have a shelf life in which they play the typical Bollywood hero, so if the court considers Salman Khan the guilty of the crime, he will have to lose out on a major part of these years.
Apart from these ventures, Khan is the face of several brands as well. He is also hosting a reality show 'Bigg Boss' since four years. There were reports that Khan takes close to rs 5 crore per episode for 'Bigg Boss'. All these things together make the amount of money riding on him much more than just Rs 350 crore.
Another actor Sanjay Dutt was recently sent to jail for 42 months and that had left the producers of many of his films with no option than shutting down the film.
A fresh trail in the decade old case will begin on December 24, which will see the re-evaluation of evidence and testimonies. The court is also expected to go on the fast track mode. Apart from section 304(2) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), the actor has also been charged under sections 279 (causing death by negligence), 337 (causing hurt by an act), 338 (causing grievous hurt), 427 (causing damage or mischief to property) of the IPC, and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and the Bombay Prohibition Act.
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