Superstar Salman Khan gets his comeuppance
It took close to 13 years, but finally Hindi film superstar Salman Khan has been convicted for causing the death of a person through rash and negligent driving under the influence of alcohol. The brouhaha that has erupted has primarily to do with the quantum of punishment — five years of rigorous imprisonment. Salman Khan’s sympathisers argue that the punishment is harsh for various reasons. The first is that others have in the past got away with lighter sentences for similar offences. The second is that the actor is engaged in commendable social work, which the Mumbai Sessions Court judge ought to have taken into consideration. And the third is that he appears to have become a victim of the celebrity syndrome. Because others have received lighter sentences in previous cases, it cannot be a ground for similar leniency. On the contrary, the argument should be that there should be no leniency in cases where drink-driving causes the death of people on the roads. The fact that Salman Khan is involved in social work, through his Being Human organisation, has no relevance to the case at hand. Even a saint, if he is found guilty of a crime, has to go through the rigors of punishment the law of the land has laid down.
The law also provides for legal remedies to a convicted person; he can appeal against the verdict and against the quantum of punishment. The superstar will undoubtedly explore those avenues, just as he has successfully done by approaching the Bombay High Court, which gave him interim bail for two days within hours of being sentenced to five years in jail. The belief that the superstar has paid the price for being a celebrity, is superfluous. There is nothing like a celebrity or a non-celebrity before the eyes of the law —at least that has thankfully been the case in most instances. It is unfair to suggest that the Mumbai Sessions Court judge handed over a stiff punishment to the actor because the former wanted to bask in the glory of convicting the Salman Khan. The judge handed a five-year term for an offence that attracted a maximum of 10 years behind bars. To that extent, the actor must thank his stars and hope for a reduction of even this sentence as he proceeds to the higher courts for relief in the coming weeks.
As the legal battles play out, Salman Khan’s supporters must desist from making hollow comments and insensitive remarks. It is one thing for his family, friends and well-wishers to express emotional solidarity with the beleaguered superstar and another to pin the blame on others, more so on the people who bore the brunt of his criminal act. A playback singer tweeted that a dog will die a dog’s death if it sleeps on the road. On being confronted, he tried to wriggle out by claiming that he wanted to warn people of the dangers of sleeping on the roads! But he had no warning for the likes of Salman Khan who drove in a drunken state. A socialite bemoaned the delayed process of justice, but forgot to add that the more-than-a-decade long trial was primarily due to the obstruction and the twists and turns the defence counsels resorted to. In hindsight, it can be said that the superstar’s lawyers made the situation worse for him by adopting indefensible and questionable means.