‘I was not drinking or driving’ says Salman Khan

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has recorded his statement in a Mumbai session court in connection with his 13-year-old hit-and-run case.

The actor has said that the case was falsely registered against him and that he was neither drunk nor was he driving the car, which ran over 5 people who were sleeping on the pavement.

“My left door was jammed so I could not open it” Salman said, admitting that he was sitting on the driver’s seat, but only for a brief moment when his driver got out of the car and another driver took over.

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While he agreed that he was at a bar with his brother Sohail Khan, Salman said he only drank water and never ordered or consumed cocktails or any other alcoholic drink. The bills which were produced in court, which were made for drinks and food, were not his, he said.

The actor also refused to accept that he ran away from the place where the accident took place, saying ”I instructed the driver to inform the police. I remained at the spot for 15 minutes or more” after which he said one of his aides asked him to go home.

News reports say, his response to most questions based on the accounts of prosecution witnesses was “false.”

“I was not driving” he said, adding that his driver Ashok was driving the car. He also said chemical analyser Bala Shankar was not an expert.

Salman is accused of running his Toyota SUV over a pavement in the early hours of September 28, 2002. One person was killed and four were injured. The actor faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.