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The Bombay high court on Thursdayacquitted Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case, overturning the decision of the Mumbai session's court in the high profile case in which the star rammed his car into a pavement in Bandra in Mumbai in 2002, killing one person and injuring 4 others.
The following is a chronology of events that eventually found him guilty in the incident.
2002
September 28:Salman Khan’s Toyota Land Cruiser rams 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.
October 21: Salman charged under Section 304 II (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
October 24: Salman rearrested; secures bail from a Sessions Court.
2003
March: Salman challenges the application of Section 304 II of the IPC.
May: Court rejects Salman’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.
2006
October: 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.
2007
May 22: A chemical analysis report suggests that Salman Khan was drunk at the time of the accident.
2011
March: The prosecution seeks enhanced charges against Salman.
2012
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.
2013
March: 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.
2014:
April: First witness Samba Gowda deposes in the re-trial, and it continues before the Sessions Court with regular hearings.
2015
March 25: Special Public Prosecutor Pradeep Gharat closed his case against Salman after examining 27 witnesses during the re-trial.
March 31: Salman’s driver Ashok Singh examined as defence witness, says he was driving the car and not the actor.
April 20: Defence counsel Shrikant Shivade forcefully argues against prosecution charges and closes its arguments.
April 20: Mumbai Additional Sessions Judge DW Deshpande sets date for verdict.
April 24: Social activist Santosh Daundkar pleads that singer Kamaal Khan, the only surviving star eye-witness to the alleged crime should be summoned.
May 6: Salman was found guilty by the Mumbai sessions court in the 2002 hit-and-run case.
December 10: The sessions court's verdict was overturned by the Bombay high court which acquitted Salman Khan of all charges in the case. The court said that the actor could not convicted on the basis of evidence produced in the 2002 case.