Bollywood's Khan gets 5-year jail term

'Not driving'

"I was not drunk, I was not driving, driver Ashok Singh was at the wheel. I was at the spot for 15 minutes after the accident," the actor told the court.

Singh, his driver, also told the court that it was he, and not Khan, who was driving the actor's car when the incident happened, following a burst tire that had jammed the brake.

Bollywood stars took to Twitter to express their support, with Arjun Kapoor saying, "It doesn't matter what anyone or any court says, he doesn't deserve this at any level."

But the victim's wife, Begum Shaikh, said she had been waiting a long time for justice, adding "We have gone through a lot of hardships."

"Everything is so expensive and we hardly have any income. My kids are always under stress," she said.

The trial began in earnest last year after a series of court hearings and lengthy legal holdups.

Several prosecution witnesses, including survivors of the crash, testified that Khan was driving the vehicle when it plowed into the men sleeping on the street near a bakery in September 2002.

When Khan finally took the stand in March, he told the court his driver was responsible for mounting the pavement in the upmarket suburb of Bandra West.

The judge found Khan guilty of all charges including driving while under the influence of alcohol and without a license.

Khan is expected to go to the high court to apply for bail.

Defence lawyer Shrikant Shivade had argued against prison for Khan, saying the actor had given generously to charity and was suffering from a neurological condition.

But prosecutor Pradeep Gharat said that "fines are not enough", adding that "the punishment has to be a deterrent" to others.

Khan has starred in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit Maine Pyar Kiya (I Fell in Love) in the 1980s

AFP - Xinhua

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