Though it didn’t come as a big surprise because of the longevity of the case, the fact that an Indian court on May 6 sentenced Salman Khan for five years in prison for killing a man in a hit-and-run driving incident that took place in Mumbai 13 years ago (2002) did shock a big number of his fans and friends.

The judge refused Sallu Mian’s assertion that it was his driver who was driving the vehicle and not the actor himself. According to the judge, the star of successful films like Dabangg was driving the car under the influence of alcohol. Salman K’s lawyers, at the time of filing this report, had advised him to appeal against the verdict. 

The moment the news about Salman Khan’s jail sentence broke, Bollywood fraternity came into action. Actresses Preity Zinta and Sonakshi Sinha immediately rushed to the actor’s flat, the famous Galaxy Apartments. They stayed there for quite some time and tried to calm Salman’s mother down, who was utterly distraught after the court decision. Salman’s younger brother Sohail and his wife too were seen reassuring his mom that things would be all right.

Others took to social networking websites to console with the actor and his family. Film producer Karan Johar tweeted: “I can only respond emotionally now. My thoughts and prayers are with Salman and his family today. I wish them strength.”

Actress Sushmita Sen’s tweet was: “There’s an enormous difference between being a criminal and being human. True justice is then served. Keep d faith.”

Arjun Kapoor’s take on the matter was: “It doesn’t matter what anyone or any court says. He doesn’t deserve this at any level.”

Alia Bhatt: “It hurts when one of your own are punished, even if they’re in the wrong. We love you and standing by you.”

Then there were others, like singer Abhijeet, who felt justice was done.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 10th, 2015

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