2002 hit and run case: Judge hearing Salman Khan's case transferred

New Delhi, May 4: The judge DW Despande presiding over Salman Khan's 2002 hit-and-run case has been transferred to Satara, Maharashtra.

As per reports, this transfer is a part of routine transfers and the registrar of the Bombay High Court has also said that Despande's transfer was part the annual general transfer list.

Though the judge has been transferred but Deshpande will only shift after pronouncing the judgment in Salman's Khan's 2002 hit na d run case on May 6.

Earlier, Judge D W Deshpande had said, "I will pronounce the verdict on May 6," at 11.15 AM and asked Salman to be present on that day.

The actor, however, was not present in the court when the judge pronounced the date of the verdict.

The 49-year-old actor is accused of ramming his SUV in a roadside bakery in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002, killing one person and injuring four who were sleeping outside.

The prosecution has also alleged that he was drunk and was driving without a licence, a charge denied by Khan.

A court had in 2013 framed charges in a fresh trial against Khan for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, for which he may face a jail term of upto 10 years if convicted.

While the prosecution had claimed that Khan was behind the wheel of the SUV at the time of the accident, the actor refuted the allegation saying its not him but his driver Ashok Singh who was in the driver's seat.

The prosecution also said that there were only three persons present in the car namely Khan, singer Kamaal Khan and police bodyguard of Khan Ravindra Patil, but the defence said a fourth person -Ashok Singh - was also present.

The prosecution said Khan's rash driving claimed the life of Nurullah Mehboob Sharif and injured Kalim Mohammed Pathan, Munna Malai Khan, Abdullah Rauf Shaikh and Muslim Shaikh.

However, Khan had argued it was his driver Ashok Singh who was behind the wheel.

The defence counsel had also said that the post-mortem report of Nurullah suggested he had crushing injuries and it had been caused when a crane could not lift the SUV in one go and dropped it on the victims.

While the prosecution applied the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder on Khan, the actor argued that there was no case of culpability as he was inside the car and was not driving.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from agencies)