There is a sense of stupefying coincidence in the acquittal of Salman Khan for having killed the endangered Blackbuck/chinkara deers in Rajasthan and a similar release that the actor got in the Bandra driving case when he mowed down some pavement dwellers with his SUV while he was presumably drunk. In both cases the main witnesses were not available and thus with the prosecution not being able to prove their case Salman Khan got off scot-free because of lack of evidence.
In the first case, the driver of the car at the time of the incident was absconding for close to 12 years but surprisingly he surfaces the day after the acquittal of the actor was announced. In the second case, the policeman escorting the actor at the time of the accident died during the pendency of the case. It is another matter that the Maharasthra government is planning to go in appeal against the judgment in the Bandra case.
In the Blackbuck case some of the actor’s compatriots from the film community have applauded Salman Khan’s acquittal claiming that he was being harassed in this as well as other cases because he was famous and had money. But is it not more plausible that precisely for these reasons the actor has subverted the justice system by ensuring that evidence against him is not presented. Additionally it was also stated that some film stars were present with Salman Khan at the time of the Blackbuck incident but why were they not accused similarly, implying thus that the actor did not commit any crime? Is it not that those who actually commit the offence are the ones who are hauled up under the justice system and not bystanders?
An interesting issue is that if such of these equally famous stars were present why did they not come out in the interest of truth to give evidence against their colleague actor? Why did the stars close ranks with Salman Khan and try to protect him and in thus subvert justice? Is it not the reputation of our film industry, that they are self-seeking, pampered and live in make-believe reality far removed from what happens in common society. Under the circumstances as covered above it is best that our government withdraw the decision of Salman Khan being the flag-bearer of the country’s Olympic contingent at the upcoming Rio games or better still the actor himself should withdraw on counts of being maybe ‘indisposed’.
