[caption id="attachment_81438" align="alignright" width="300"] SALMAN KHAN -[/caption]
BOLLYWOOD superstar Salman Khan was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for killing a homeless man with his SUV in a 2002 hit-and-run after a night out drinking.
He was found guilty of culpable homicide and other charges for driving his Land Cruiser into a group of homeless men sleeping rough in suburban Mumbai.
The court rejected the actor’s claim that his driver was to blame.
“After going through the arguments put forth by both sides, I have come to the conclusion that five years is proper punishment,” Judge DW Deshpande told the packed court.
Khan has always denied being behind the wheel, and the conviction and sentence are likely to hit the career of one of the Indian movie industry’s biggest stars.
The 49-year-old looked stunned as the sentence was read out, sinking into his chair as his family gathered around.
He later applied for bail and a decision is pending, while he is also expected to appeal.
The sentence had been keenly awaited both by his legion of fans and by Bollywood studios, who stand to lose millions of dollars if they have to cancel filming for movies for which he has been signed up.
The sentence sparked a storm on social media, with Bollywood celebrities taking to Twitter in support of Khan.
He has starred in more than 100 films and television shows.
– AFP