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Bollywood Star Jailed For Hit-And-Run Killing

Bollywood Star Jailed For Hit-And-Run Killing

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been sentenced to five years in jail for crashing his car into a group of homeless people, killing one man.

A judge in India convicted the 49-year-old of culpable homicide over the hit-and-run, which happened at the end of a night out drinking in Mumbai in 2002.

Khan, who had blamed his driver for the crash, faced a maximum sentence of 10 years.

During the trial, which began last year after several legal hold-ups, witnesses claimed Khan was at the wheel when his Toyota Land Cruiser mounted the pavement and ploughed into five homeless men as they slept.

In a statement, one labourer said: "Salman was so drunk he fell. He stood but he fell again and then he ... ran away."

Khan's driver told the court in April that he was driving at the time, and the accident had been caused by a burst tyre.

However, a constable attached to the actor's security detail contradicted the story, and insisted Khan had lost control while drunk and driving at speeds of about 55mph. That guard was not present during the trial because he died of tuberculosis in 2007.

Khan, who has starred in more than 100 movies and TV shows, had pleaded not guilty.

His lawyers said he had drank water throughout the evening in question, and only climbed out of the driver's seat after the crash because the passenger door had been damaged.

Khan's legal team also claimed the homeless man who was killed, Nurulah Mahbob Sharif, actually died after the crash - as the car's bumper fell off and landed on him as the vehicle was removed.

No stranger to controversy, Khan was convicted of killing an endangered Indian gazelle in 1998.

He also allegedly assaulted Aishwarya Rai, a Bollywood actress and former Miss World, following the breakdown of their relationship.

Bollywood studios could now lose more than $31m (£20m), as they may be forced to cancel the blockbusters Khan was due to appear in.

The case has sparked debate over the judicial process in India, with some criticising how rich and powerful defendants can circumvent justice even after a heinous crime.

Khan is likely to apply for bail and launch an appeal, but because the sentence is more than three years the court has no jurisdiction to grant bail.