Salman Khan's five-year sentence suspended

8 May 2015 08:15 am

As Salman Khan’s two-day interim bail came to an end Friday, it was decided by the Bombay High Court to suspend the actor’s five-year sentence while his appeal was pending in the high court, Express News reported.

The appeal is set to be heard in July and the actor was ordered to be on best behaviour. Although he has to surrender his passport to the police, Salman would be able to travel abroad with prior permission, NDTV reported.

The actor’s lawyers also heard that Salman would have to file for a fresh plea.

At the court today, the hearing was presided over by Judge Abhay Thipsay who questioned the court “why should his rights suffer when the appeal is still being heard?”

Judge Thipsay further made comments pertaining to a notional custody, according to NDTV.

This put Salman’s defence in an encouraging position as they awaited the decision of whether his bail would be extended or whether he would go to jail.

Further, the judge asked the prosecutor why the case should not be treated only as a case of rash driving. He was also reported to have told the public prosecutor that a sentence under seven years could be suspended, according to The Times of India.

As news of the sentence being suspended was announced, scores of fans were seen outside Salman’s residence blocking roads and creating chaos.

The Kick star on Wednesday was handed a five-year sentence by a Mumbai sessions court in his hit-and-run case which found him guilty of culpable homicide.

With eight charges against Khan, including culpable homicide and a non-bailable offence, the court deemed him guilty.  (The Express Tribune)