Salman, ever the hero, ran away, leaving those migrants bleeding and dying. They testified to seeing him get down from the driver's seat. He surrendered 8 hours later, still with 62 mg of alcohol in his blood.
His police guard, constable Ravindra Patil, was blamed by Salman for driving. Patil lost his job and was disowned by his family. A newspaper published a photograph of him sitting on the floor of a bare room, skeletal from tuberculosis he had no money to treat. He died alone and bankrupt, at the age of 30 in 2007.
This had no effect on Salman's popularity, and in fact his best period was ahead of him.
In a civilized nation, his audience would be repelled as Americans were with Errol Flynn after he was accused of statutory rape. Fortunately he's popular in a culture with low morality and he can laugh off his behaviour. His charisma is intact.
Asked by The Times of India in 2007 why he had so few endorsements, he said he didn't get them: "Arre, milte nahin hain endorsements.
Karna kaun nahin chahta (I don't get endorsements ...who would not want to do them)?" His explanation was that the cases against him put advertisers off, but that's wrong. Nobody cares about that. It's his image as a mass--that is, lower class--star.
Jailed for poaching, Salman appeared in court wearing a skull cap. He claimed this was not for sympathy, but it's hard to dismiss the feeling that it was. He's almost never seen in one otherwise and the Khan family prides itself on its pluralist traditions.
Well I had gone to the Rain bar where I had a few Bacardis and was on my way home late night when the Toyota Landcruiser suddenly swerved into the American Express laundry on Hill Road. Believe me it was so sudden that noone could have anticipated that something like this will happen. The next thing that I saw was that a man was dead and a few others were injured. For a few seconds I was completely numb but then I gathered myself together and got down to see what had actually happened. I wanted to take the injured to the hospital but soon there was a crowd and they stared to attack me and started throwing stones at me. I was hurt at several places all over my body. In the melee, somebody even snatched my wristwatch and my wallet. A few of the people around saved me and told me to get out of there.
Who was at the wheel?
As I have said earlier that my driver Ashok Singh was driving and I was sitting behind.
But Kamal Khan, who was with you, has told the police that you were at the wheel. And there are many eyewitnesses who would vouch for that.
That is not true. I was not driving, Ashok was. I don't know what Kamal said and I don't believe that. Ashok was at the wheel and he was not driving very fast as some newspapers have reported. Its hard to say what exactly happened that night, probably the brakes failed but whatever happened I am sorry for that. That night I cried a lot because I couldn't do anything for the injured people.
SS: But you must've thought a lot in prison… SK: In any case, I get a lot of time to think. Didn't have to go to jail to think. I do think a lot. The accident was very unfortunate. I wasn't even driving but no one wanted to listen to me. What can one do? What was destined, happened. The thing I'm saddest about is the mother whose son died and whom I've still not met because if I meet her someone will say I'm trying to buy evidence. Her condition makes me most sad. Her image keeps coming back to me whenever I try to sleep. It haunts me. How will she survive in her small hut? That is the thing, which makes me most mad. I can't bring her son back to life. I can only say maaji, I'm very sorry. Accidents mean accidents, it was a mistake. But why is there so much hatred and animosity against me? I don't think I deserve it. No one tried to verify rumours. The media carried reports without cross- checking information. It was only when my fans started getting upset that people started coming out with the truth. Is it some kind of a game of money and power? Then they say I'm rich and powerful. If I was so rich, powerful and so famous how come I ended up in jail? There are a lot many people who are much more richer and powerful than me. They are the ones who send people like me to jail. Why did I have to go to jail to repent? Why couldn't I have repented at home? Why did people try to change the law? |
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