MUMBAI (Web Desk/Agencies) – Salman Khan’s driver told a Mumbai court on Monday he was at the driver’s wheel when the actor’s white Toyota Land Cruiser hit a Bandra bakery in 2002, killing a pavement dweller sleeping outside the building and injuring four others.
The driver, Ashok Singh, said he was not given any money to depose before the court, at least two television channels reported. The accident took place because a tyre of the vehicle burst, Singh was quoted as saying. He said Salim Khan, the actor’s father, told him to depose before the court and tell it the truth.
Singh corroborated the Bollywood actor’s claim who – during the 2002 hit-and-run case proceedings on Friday – said he was neither driving the vehicle at the time of the accident nor was he drunk. Khan had testified before additional sessions judge DW Deshpande that his driver was at the wheel that night.
Khan’s vehicle rammed into the American Express Bakery in suburban Bandra, close to his sea-front home in Galaxy Apartments, in the early hours of September 28, 2002. Khan was arrested by the Bandra Police later that morning after one person died in the accident.
Denying the prosecution charges that he was inebriated at the time of the accident, Khan said he had not consumed liquor on that night and claimed the evidences adduced against him in the case was “false”.
Khan disputed several witness accounts, including that of his police bodyguard the late Ravindra Patil, who had said the actor was seen coming out of the driving seat.
“My left door was jammed so I couldn’t open it,” Khan told the judge.
When confronted with the statements of a parking lot attendant, who had said he handed over the car to the actor, Khan said he did not remember.
The actor did not deny that he had gone to a bar with his brother Sohail Khan and some friends earlier that night, but said he never ordered any cocktails as indicated by the bills and only consumed water at the bar.
Sporting a white shirt and blue jeans, Khan arrived at the court at around 11 a.m. on Friday and his deposition started after about half an hour. He was accompanied by sisters Alvira and Arpita and a personal bodyguard.
The actor was ordered to appear personally before the judge to record his statement under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code, considered a crucial stage in the retrial of the case before the final arguments begin.
The actor is facing charges under IPC Section 304(II) — culpable homicide not amounting to murder which attracts a 10-year jail sentence; Sec. 279 (rash driving); Sec. 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life of others); Sec. 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life); Sec. 427 (mischief causing damage); and under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949.
