One of India's biggest and most popular movie stars, Salman Khan, was sentenced to five years in jail Wednesday on charges of running over five men sleeping on a sidewalk and killing one in a hit-and-run case that has dragged for more than 13 years.
According to the court session that was held in Mumbai on Wednesday shows that actor Salman Khan was guilty in the 2002 hit-and-run case..
The 49-year-old actor was also given separate terms for negligent driving and causing grievous harm to the victims, but all the sentences will run concurrently, defence lawyers said.
Khan plans to file an appeal for bail, said his lawyer, Srikant Shivade.
He was scheduled to start starting serving the sentence in a Mumbai prison later Wednesday, Shivade said. The lawyers argued for a more lenient sentence, citing Khan's "medical condition." No details were immediately available on the nature of Khan's medical complaint.
Khan has all along denied that he was behind the wheel. In April, his driver Ashok Singh told the court that he was driving and lost control of the SUV when one its tires burst.
But Judge Deshpande dismissed the actor's claim and accused him of driving the car under the influence of alcohol then fleeing.
Khan also faces trial in a separate case for allegedly killing two rare deer in a western India wildlife preserve 16 years ago.
He is one of Bollywood's most popular stars, appearing in more than 90 Hindi-language films in his 27-year career.
Huge crowds had gathered outside Khan's house in south Mumbai for a glimpse of the star as he emerged from his apartment block surrounded by security guards.
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