Bollywood actor Salman Khan was on Wednesday sentenced to five years in jail for a 2002 hit-and-run accident that left one man dead and four others injured here.
Additional Sessions Judge D.W. Deshpande announced the verdict at a packed courtroom here, stunning the actor and his family.
Salman, one of the highest paid actors in Bollywood, was sentenced for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The judge held Salman guilty of rash and negligent driving when he was at the wheels of the Land Cruiser that killed the poor victim in suburban Bandra in September 2002.
Defence lawyer Abha Singh said justice had finally been done.
"I am very happy," she told the media. "Justice has been done. The law has been upheld."
She said the long delay had given the impression that the rich could get away with murder in India, and that the moneyed were above the law.
Earlier on Wednesday, the actor was found guilty on most of the charges levelled against him in the incident.
His lawyers had pleaded for a lighter sentence, citing the actor's social work as well as heart and other medical issues.
Salman is likely to be taken into police custody and sent to the Arthur Road Central Jail in south Mumbai.
While rumours are rife that the first day income of forthcoming film "Gabbar Is Back" will go to Nepal relief fund, actor Akshay Kumar says such decisions are taken by the film's producers, and that he doesn’t have to depend on release of a film to make his contribution
Recalling her visit to Nepal last year, former Miss Universe and Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen on Wednesday said the earthquake that devastated in the Himalayan country has made her "speechless".
The sequel of 2002 film “Kaante” is part of Sanjay Gupta's future plans, but he says the movie will not happen without actor Sanjay Dutt who is currently behind bars.
Actor Mukesh Khanna, who is known for his iconic role as Shaktimaan on the small screen, has been appointed the new chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI).
Actress Deepika Padukone, who is gearing up for her upcoming film "Piku" with Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Irrfan Khan, says her personal style is a lot like her titular character Piku's.
Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor will be seen in an episode of the second season of Anupam Kher's TV show “The Anupam Kher Show...Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai", and he has thanked his "great co-star" for inviting him.
