The actor Salman Khan’s acquittal in a 2002 hit-and-run case raises more questions than it answers.
A shoddy investigation that weakened the case and a crack team of defence lawyers—these apparently helped the actor Salman Khan walk free 13 years after he was charged in a hit-and-run and drunken driving case that resulted in the death of one person and injured four others. On December 10, the Bombay High Court acquitted the superstar of Hindi filmdom of all charges, citing the failure of the prosecution to prove them conclusively. In May, a lower court had sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment in the case.
In the early hours of September 28, 2002, Salman’s car ran over five people sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai’s Bandra area. Nurulla Sharif was killed on the spot. Given the inconsistencies in the statements of the witnesses, it is not clear whether Salman or his driver was behind the wheel when the incident happened. Initially, it was assumed that Salman, who in those days was known for his wayward partying, was behind the wheel. As the investigation dragged on, it began to emerge that lack of substantive evidence had botched up the case.
Lawyers familiar with the case say that it is not just a story of a leading Hindi film actor using his influence to circumvent the law. Of course, it is true that he could afford the best defence lawyers in the country. But what helped him more was the careless probe by the police and investigation agencies.
“The law works with evidence and arguments presented in court. You cannot fault them. What messed up the prosecution’s case was what happened soon after the accident; for instance, the delay in the collection of the blood samples or forensic material from the accident site and, more importantly, the lack of or inconsistency in eyewitness statements,” said a lawyer.
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How Not To Handle An Epidemic
The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.
Tragedy on foot
As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.
Sarpanchs as game changers
Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Scapegoating China
As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.
New worries
Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.
No love lost for labour
Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.
Capital's Malthusian moment
In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .
Understanding migration
When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.
An empty package
The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.
