Bombay High Court defers hearing on Salman Khan's appeal to July 13

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday adjourned till July 13 an appeal filed by Bollywood actor Salman Khan, challenging the five-year sentence awarded to him in the 2002 hit-and-run case, after the actor's lawyer sought time to check documents.

Senior counsel Amit Desai informed the court that although the 'paper book' (compilation of evidence and documents) is ready and copies have been served to both the sides by the court, they needed three weeks to check whether the documents were in order.

Justice AR Joshi, however, granted adjournment till June 13 to carry out the drill of checking documents. The actor's lawyer said he would need to check whether English translation of any document in vernacular language is required to be done. He also wanted to check whether any documents were missing, in which case he would file an application seeking a direction to place them on record.

The HC had on May 8 stayed the execution of the five-year sentence awarded to the 49-year-old actor in the 13-year-old case and granted him bail while admitting his appeal. Khan was convicted by a sessions court on May 6 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment on various counts, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

A man was killed and four others were injured when the actor's Toyota Land Cruiser ran over them while they were asleep on a pavement outside a bakery in Bandra on September 28, 2002.