The family of the man who was killed in the 2002 hit-and-run case involving actor Salman Khan on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court ruling that acquitted the 50-year-old of all charges. The special leave petition sought setting aside the High Court judgement and a direction to the 50-year-old actor to pay compensation to the widow and son of the deceased, Shaikh Noorulla Shafik, reported PTI.
The petition said that the High Court has made a "serious error" in reversing the judgment of the trial court, which had sentenced Khan to five years in jail. It added that the Shafik's family was grievously affected by the incident. The petitioners also said the lower courts had ignored sections 357 and 357 A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which provides for compensation to victims of crime.
The Maharashtra government has already challenged Khan's acquittal and asked for the trial court's ruling to be restored. Calling the acquittal a "travesty of justice", the state government said in its appeal, "Salman Khan had consumed liquor and was drunk, he was driving the Land Cruiser which killed a person sleeping on the pavement. He knew he should not be driving." Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the state government, said the theory that the actor's car was being driven by his driver, who surfaced after 12 years, should be discarded, reported NDTV.
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