September 28, 2002: Shortly after 2 a.m., Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser rams into a roadside bakery in Bandra West, close to his seafront home in Galaxy Apartments. Four people sleeping outside the bakery are injured; one dies later.
Later that afternoon, Khan is arrested by the olice and enlarged on bail by a metropolitan magistrate’s court.
October 21: Salman charged under Section 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
October 24: Salman re-arrested; secures bail from a sessions court.
2003:
March: Salman challenges the application of Section 304 II of the IPC.
May: Court rejects Khan’s application and asks the magistrate’s court to frame charges under the section 304 II of the IPC.
June: Salman appeals in the Bombay High Court, which holds that the section is not applicable in the case.
October: The state challenges the high court order in the Supreme Court.
December: Supreme Court rules that the magistrate should, after perusing the evidence, decide whether to invoke the section 304 II.
October 2006: The Bandra metropolitan magistrate’s Court frames charges against the actor under section 304 I (rash and negligent driving) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
May 22, 2007: A chemical analysis report suggests that Salman Khan was drunk at the time of the accident.
March 2011: The prosecution seeks enhanced charges against Salman.
December 2012: The Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court rules that a case has been made out under Sec. 304 II and commits the trial to the Mumbai Sessions Court.
March 2013: Salman files a revision application with the Sessions Court, challenging the lower court order.
June 24: The sessions court rejects Salman’s application, paving the way for applying the stringent section.
July 23: The Mumbai Sessions court frames charges against Salman invoking the enhanced charge of ‘culpable homicide not amounting to murder.’
December: The Mumbai Sessions Court orders a fresh trial against the actor and with recording of fresh evidence from all witnesses who had also deposed before the Metropolitan Magistrate court.
April 2014: First witness Samba Gowda deposes in the re-trial, and it continues before the Sessions Court with regular hearings.
March 25, 2015: Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat closed his case against Salman after examining 27 witnesses during the re-trial.
April 20: Defence counsel Shrikant Shivade forcefully argues against prosecution charges and closes its arguments.
April 20: Mumbai Additional Sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande sets date for verdict.
Charges against Salman:
Indian Penal Code Sec. 304 part II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) which attracts upto 10 years in prison; Sec. 279 (rash and negligent driving) which stipulates six months jail; Secs. 337 & 338 (causing hurt by act endangering life and causing grievous hurt) with punishment up to two years; Sec. 427 (mischief causing damage to property) with maximum punishment of upto 2 years.
Motor Vehicle Act: Secs. 34 (a), (b) read with 181 (driving vehicle in contravention of rules) and 185 (driving at great speed after consuming alcohol with punishment of cancellation of driving license
Bombay Prohibition Act: Driving under influence of alcohol with maximum 6 months’ jail.