Salman, Alistair cases similar, says special PP

MUMBAI: The prosecution in the 2002 alleged hit-and-run case involving actor Salman Khan said on Thursday that the case was identical to the Alistair Pereira case, in which seven pavement dwellers were killed and 14 injured in 2006.
Special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat cited and submitted the judgment, on the fifth and final day of the prosecution’s arguments.Defence advocate Srikant Shivde will commence arguments on Friday.
Pereira was convicted under Section 304 II of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), the charge under which Khan has been tried since the trial commenced before judge D W Deshpande last April. Khan has been accused of driving drunk.
Gharat said both cases were identical. Pointing out that knowledge was the most important ingredient to prove the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Gharat said, “One cannot deny that the accused (Khan) did not have the knowledge that the people were sleeping on the pavement.” The prosecution said the vehicle rammed into the shutter after running over five persons, four of whom were saved. “The accused is expected to be more cautious,” Gharat submitted.
He urged the court to discard the statement of Ashok Singh, Khan’s driver who claimed that he was at the wheel on the night of the incident. He said that except one witness, others had said there were three people in the vehicle. He said the accused “did not have a driving licence and was in a drunken position”.