Salman case: HC finds bodyguard's testimony 'unreliable'

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday said it was difficult to believe the testimony of late Ravindra Patil, the police bodyguard assigned to Bollywood actor Salman Khan who was in the vehicle during the September 28, 2002, hit-and-run accident case involving the Bollywood star.

Terming him as "an unreliable witness" Justice A.R. Joshi said it was difficult to accept Patil's answer that the car tyre burst due to the impact" (of the crash).

The court also observed that in his police statement recorded hours after the accident that day, Patil made no mention about Salman being drunk, but said this only on October 1 (that year) after the blood sample tests reports were received.

Since Monday, the judge is in the process of dictating in an open court his verdict on the appeal filed by the actor challenging the Sessions Court order of May 2015.

By that order the Sessions Court sentenced Salman Khan to five years' jail on, among other things, charges of "culpable homicide not amounting to murder".