Mumbai Court orders fresh trial in Salman Khan hit-and-run case

Zee Media Bureau Mumbai: Salman Khan’s infamous hit and run case was scheduled to be in courts today. A Mumbai sessions court has agreed to Salman Khan’s plea for the trial to begin afresh and to consider new evidence.The film star had appealed to the court in November 2013 for the trial to be started anew owing to a more serious charge that was framed by the magistrate under the section 304, of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. If proven guilty, Salman Khan may face imprisonment for up to ten years. Earlier the actor had only faced charges of negligent and rash driving for which the punishment is up to two years of jail term. Khan’s lawyer, Srikant Shivade had argued that the actor had not been given an opportunity to cross examine the witness and a more serious charge should be tried in a sessions court. The sessions court, on Thursday decided to begin the trial afresh and to bring the evidence given by the witnesses anew. The trial is likely to begin on December 23. In September 2002, Salman allegedly drove his land cruiser and crushed 5 people, killing one and injuring the others outside a pavement in Bandra.