M'rashtra to appeal Salman's acquittal

State govt to challenge Bombay HC verdict in SC

The Maharashtra government said on Wednesday that it will appeal the acquittal of actor Salman Khan by the Bombay High Court in connection with the 2002 hit-and-run case.

“We have decided to challenge the Bombay High Court verdict in the Supreme Court,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur after the three-week long winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly.

The government took the decisions after consultation between law and judiciary departments and home department – both headed by Fadnavis.

“The state government would move a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court to file an appeal,” government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani told a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Gautam Patel, which is hearing a hearing a PIL filed  by the senior journalist and activist Nikhil Wagle seeking compensation from Salman for the victims of the 2002 incident.

On May 6 this year, Additional Sessions Judge D W Despande convicted Salman and sentenced him to undergo a rigorous imprisonment of five years.

However, on December 10, Justice A R Joshi acquitted the actor of all charges. During the hearing of a PIL on Wednesday, the Bombay High Court  framed some issues and sought an answers from the government.

The bench wanted to know from what type of devices were available with the authorities to hold blood analysis test of accused in hit-and-run cases to determine consumption of alcohol.

The bench also sought to know within how much time is the blood test conducted in accident cases - so as to get perfect results.

To this, Vagyani replied that the first five to seven hours after the mishap were the crucial period when ideally such examination is done and it is also prescribed in the Police Manual and Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Next hearing
The matter has been posted for hearing in January 2016 after the vacations.