Salman Khan’s driver Ashok Singh told the court that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. Salman Khan’s driver Ashok Singh told the court that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Actor Salman Khan’s driver Ashok Singh, appearing before the court for the first time on Monday, said it was he, and not the actor, behind the wheels of the SUV on the night of September 28, 2002, when the actor’s Toyota Landcruiser crashed into a Bandra pavement, killing one and injuring four others. Singh also told the court that a tyre burst had caused the accident.

(READ: Salman Khan: the star, actor and human being)

“I felt bad that the accident occurred when I was driving the vehicle and Salman had to face the consequences,” Singh said.

Asked by special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat why he had not come forward on his own between September 2002 and today, Singh said, “It did not strike me to come to court.

Salim Khan told me to go to court and tell the truth.” Singh, who has been working with the Khan family since 1990, also denied he had taken money to say what he was saying.

“I was driving and we were some distance on Hill Road when the front left tyre burst. Our vehicle veered towards the left. I tried turning the steering but it had become hard. I tried applying brakes but the vehicle had by then climbed the stairs of the laundry and stopped,” Singh said.

He also claimed he went to the police station after the mishap but nobody listened to him there. “Salman then asked me to call the police. I dialled 100 and told them about the accident. I then went to Bandra Police Station, where I was told the police had already headed for the spot.

I narrated them the incident. I was in the police station till 4 pm. Salman also came around 10.30 am. I told him I had already informed the police about the incident,” he said. The police would later arrest Salman.

Singh said he got to know only later that one person had lost his life. “There was darkness underneath the car. I did not know the extent of injuries.”

Asked why he did not approach the court, he said: “I did not understand and was not aware of what I needed to do.”

Asked why he did not tell mediapersons standing outside the police station on the morning after the accident that it was he and not Salman driving, Singh said, “I could not speak against the police when I was standing in the police station.”

The matter will now come up for hearing on Tuesday. Final arguments are expected to start by April 1.

On Friday last week, the actor had said he could not get out from the left side of the car as the door was jammed and that is the reason he was seen emerging from the driver’s side of the car.

Singh also corroborated this statement on Monday saying he tried to move the car along with Salman to rescue people beneath the vehicle but they could not move the car.

The actor, who was asked 419 questions on Friday, had claimed the case against him was “false” and that he had not been drinking that night.

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