`None of eye-witnesses said Salman was driving': lawyer in HC

Mumbai, Aug 5: Bollywood actor Salman Khan's lawyer today contended before the Bombay High Court that none of the eye-witnesses in the hit-and-run case involving the actor said that he was driving the car.

The High Court is hearing an appeal filed by the actor who was sentenced to five years in jail for culpable homicide not amounting to murder by the sessions court in May. A car driven allegedly by Khan rammed into a bakery in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002, killing one person and injuring four who were sleeping on the pavement.

His lawyer Amit Desai today argued that the entire case was based on circumstantial evidence. Singer Kamal Khan, a crucial eye-witness, was not examined before the trial court, the lawyer said, adding that prosecution found and produced the doctor who conducted autopsy of the victim but did not try to trace Kamal Khan.

Further, none of the eye-witnesses said that they saw Salman driving; they only stated from which side of the car they saw him getting out after the accident, Desai said. Justice A R Joshi will continue to hear the arguments tomorrow.

PTI