Salman Khan's acquittal raises questions about India's justice system

One of Bollywood’s biggest stars has been cleared on appeal of killing a homeless man in a drunken hit-and-run, a decision likely to revive questions about how India’s justice system treats the rich and famous. Actor Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser veered off a main road in Mumbai into a group of people sleeping rough outside a bakery in 2002, killing labourer Nurulah Mahbob Sharif and injuring four others. A Mumbai court found Khan, 49, guilty of culpable homicide earlier this year, saying he was drunk behind the wheel when the accident happened and tried to flee the scene. That ruling has now been overturned by the Bombay high court. The judge ruled that statements from the state’s star witness – a bodyguard who died of tuberculosis in 2007 – were not “wholly reliable”, and the prosecution had failed to conclusively establish that Khan was drunk. “The prosecution failed to establish its case on all charges,” Justice A R Joshi told a packed courtroom, announcing that Khan had been acquitted. The actor showed little emotion, but his lawyer declared the ruling “a relief”. His defence team had argued that Khan’s driver was in charge of the car, not the actor, and lost control when a tyre burst. The star had been drinking water all evening and only climbed out of the driver’s seat after the accident because the passenger door was damaged, lawyers said. The original judgement in May was hailed as a crucial sign of accountability in a legal system that has sometimes appeared to set different standards for those with wealth, power and connections. “In my opinion, the truth has prevailed,” Arvind Inamdar, former top police officer for the state of Maharashtra, told NDTV at the time. “Celebrities should not have a different status from the common man.” The original ruling had outraged Khan’s legions of fans, however, and some turned up outside his house to celebrate the acquittal on Thursday. Khan had also enjoyed widespread support from fellow Bollywood stars, like actor and singer Mika Singh who posted a selfie with the actor on Twitter after the acquittal with a simple “congrats big bro” message. Khan has been wildly popular since his debut in 1989’s Maine Pyar Kiya (I’ve Fallen in Love), starring in more than 80 films and TV shows, including four of the top 10 highest grossing Indian films of all time. Up to 2.5bn rupees worth of film production is currently riding on him, with producers gambling on his star power despite a string of controversies. The current trial has hung over him for more than a decade. He was previously jailed for nearly a week for hunting endangered gazelles, and is on bail in a separate case over killing protected antelopes. A former partner, actor and Miss World winner Aishwarya Rai, also claimed that he harassed her after their split. Khan’s supporters and lawyers point to the Being Human foundation he set up in 2007 to help the country’s poor, including heart surgery for hundreds of children and personal donations to the survivors of the crash. “In the past, judges reduced punishment keeping in mind humanitarian work,” member of parliament and Bollywood singer Babul Supriyo said at the time of Khan’s sentencing earlier this year. “People shouldn’t think Salman Khan is being given special treatment, but humanitarian work should be kept in mind.” The surviving victims have been mostly concerned with compensation. Sharif was his family’s only breadwinner, while his four companions have also struggled because their injuries mean they cannot work. The limited compensation they got has vanished in legal and medical costs. “We were kept in the dark for 13 years and today they have let him go ... All right, but what about us?” one of the men, Abdullah, told AFP. “We are yet to see any compensation.” State prosecutors are expected to appeal Thursday’s ruling to the supreme court. Even if they do, Khan should be able to carry on working while out on bail, as he has done throughout the trial and appeal.