Popular Bollywood star Salman Khan was today sentenced to five years in prison for killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run in Mumbai in 2012. He hit 5 homeless people, killing one and injuring 3 of them. Prosecutors said he was drunk at the time of the crash and had just left a bar.
His driver claimed in court last month that he had been the one behind the wheels and that the accident occurred after a tyre burst but a judge in Mumbai court today ruled that Salman was the one driving and not his driver after someone in his security team contradicted his driver's claims. Salman was sentenced him to five years in prison and was immediately taken into custody.
His family immediately went to a Mumbai high court to seek bail. Salman's lawyers said they plan to appeal the sentence. Meaning that the case will be in court for years.
The prosecution is now set to move a perjury application against Salman Khan's driver for giving false testimony in court.
Salman Khan had left the shooting of a movie midway to attend the court hearing. The movie will have to be put on hold since he's in custody. The 49year old actor who has featured in over 80 Indian movies is said to be worth about $40million.
