Hit and run case: SC dismisses plea to probe if Salman used “money power to secure acquittal” [Read Petition]

The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition for probe into if bollywood super star Salman Khan and his family used money power to secure his acquittal in 2002 hit and run case in which one person was killed.

“These are wild allegations without any basis. Why should we go into all this. The main controversy regarding the acquittal is already being looked into by this court”,  bench led by Justice J S Khehar said.

Petitioner and lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma wanted the court to take  note of a statement  made by Salman’s father Salim Khan and reported by a newspaper that the family spent Rs 25 crore on the case.

The lawyer went ahead to forward the report to the bench claiming it was a “an extra judicial confession” and the Rs 25 crore was the money “spent to influence the judiciary”.

But justice Khehar told Sharma “You have interpreted the news report wrong. Where does it say they spent the money to influence the court? It says they have spent on lawyers’ fee. Where have they said they purchased anyone? These are wild allegations. Nothing more nothing less”

Overturning the order of a lower court, which had in May convicted the actor under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced him to a jail term of five years, Justice A R Joshi of Bombay High Court said this was “not a case where prosecution has successfully established its case of all its charges”.

Maharashtra government disputed the High Court’s observation that the investigation was conducted in a careless and faulty manner, claiming that there were many witnesses who corroborated the charges against Salman adequately.

Read the Petition here.