Local court in Mumbai rejects Bollywood actor's plea to sell his car which was involved in the 2002 hit-and-run case

A local court has rejected the plea of Bollywood actor Salman Khan seeking permission to sell his Toyota Land Cruiser car which he was driving during the hit-and-run case in 2002 in which one person was killed and four others sustained injuries.

The court Monday rejected the application as the car is an evidence in the case and the trial is not over, said a police officer.

In March this year, Khan had filed an application in the Bandra metropolitan court seeking to sell his car as he does not need it any more.

Khan's Toyota Land Cruiser had rammed into a bakery in suburban Bandra killing one and injuring four others who were sleeping on a pavement on September 28, 2002.

The actor was booked on the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

However, he had maintained that it was merely an accident and he did not have an intention to kill anyone.

The Bombay High Court had held that Section 304 part II of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was not applicable in the case and the actor be tried under 304 A of IPC (rash and negligent driving) and other relevant sections.

The court had framed charges against Khan under sections 304 A of IPC (rash and negligent driving), 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing minor injuries), 338 (causing major injuries) and 427 (negligence).

Earlier this year, the police had again sought that Khan be tried for more serious charge of 'culpable homicide not amounting to murder'.

The application is still pending. The trial in the case started in 2005 and the prosecution has examined 11 witnesses.

However, two witnesses, Ravindra Patil his police bodyguard and Ramasray Pandey who witnessed the incident, turned hostile.