Bombay HC verdict in Salman case wishy-washy, Maharashtra tells SC

New Delhi, Feb 5: The Maharashtra governent on Friday told the Supreme Court that the Bombay High Court verdict acquitting Bollywood star Salman Khan in the 2002 accident case was "wishy-washy" and sought its reversal.

As Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi took an apex court bench of Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice C. Nagappan through the details of the case and the proceedings before the trial court, the apex court said that since it was a matter of acquittal they will examine the evidence before deciding to issue notice to Salman Khan.

Assailing the high court verdict, Rohatgi told the apex court that its finding that Salman was not driving the vehicle at the time of the accident is suspicious. He also assailed the surfacing of Salman's driver in the case after a gap of 13 years.

Asking Rohatgi to the apprise the court on the material in support of their plea for reversal of acquittal order, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing to February 12.

Salman Khan's counsel Kapil Sibal told the court to direct the summoning of the translated version of the trial court record in the case to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court admitted in January Salman Khan's caveat, urging it to grant him a hearing before passing any order on the Maharashtra government's appeal in the 2002 accident case, in which one person was killed and four others were injured.

Salman Khan was found guilty by a sessions court on May 6, 2015 and convicted for, among others, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and sentenced to five years in jail for the accident, in which one person was killed and four others injured.

However, on December 10, 2015, the Bombay High Court acquitted him of all charges and quashed the lower court verdict.

IANS