On the eve of the release of his much-anticipated film Sultan, Salman Khan received a jolt when the Supreme Court admitted the Maharashtra government's appeal against his acquittal by the Bombay high court in the 2002 hit-and-run case.
In a statement, Khan's lawyer, Anand Desai, said: 'The honourable Supreme Court had on the last date asked us whether Salman would consent to the Supreme Court hearing the case on merits. Today we informed the honourable Supreme Court that we had taken instructions from our client Salman Khan and the matter should be heard on merits. Accordingly, leave is granted and the final hearing will take place in due course,”
Last December, the Bombay high court had acquitted the star of all charges and overturned the five-year prison sentence imposed upon him by the trial court in May. The trial court had found Khan guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. But the high court said the prosecution had failed to prove any of the charges against him.
The case dates back to the night of 28 September 2002, when Khan, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, ran his Toyota Landcruiser over some people sleeping on the pavement near American Bakery in Bandra, western Mumbai. One of the sleeping victims was killed on the spot while four others were injured.