Daijiworld Media Network - Entertainment

Mumbai, Dec 5: Bollywood actor Salman Khan was today ordered by a Mumbai High court, for a fresh trial pertaining to his involvement in the 2002 hit-and-run case to have all the evidence and witnesses re-examined. The fresh trial and re-examination of evidences and witnesses, comes at the official behest of the actor, who was to be tried for 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder'.

The plea presented by Salman Khan was accepted by Sessions Court Judge D W Deshpande, who ordered for the re-trial to start on December 24. The  new charge of culpable homicide, amounts to a maximum punishment of ten years imprisonment for the accused if he is proven guilty in court.

Salman Khan is being tried, for driving his Toyota Land Cruiser on to a pavement where people were sleeping consequently killing one person and injuring four others on September 28, 2002. The incident is said to have taken place in front of a bakery on Hill Road in suburban Bandra, very early in the morning on that fateful day. Salman Khan is reported to have been intoxicated at the time. A medical assessment had confirmed that the actor had been intoxicated at the time of the accident. Salman had surrendered within eight hours of the incident while claiming that he wasn't the one driving the vehicle, as testified by the eye-witnesses of the case.

The actor's lawyer, Shrikant Shivade  said that while he was unsure of the total time duration of the trial, he hoped it wouldn't be too long. The prosecution who opposed the very move of a re-trial, opined that this was merely a delaying tactic. Shivade retaliated saying that the plea was a fair one as previously the defence counsel had not had the opportunity to cross examine the witnesses presented. Khan will also have to answer to charges of causing death due to negligence and causing grievous hurt and damage to property.