Finally, it was the evidence of Ravindra Patel, Salman’s bodyguard that proved to be instrumental in the actor being convicted.
At the last minute even though, Salman’s driver Ashok Singh claimed that it was he who was driving the car at the time of the accident, the Court refused to believe him.
On the fateful day, Ravindra Patil had asked Salman not to drive the car as he was in an inebriated condition.
The actor paid no heed to his words and the tragedy happened. Ravindra Patil was a constable with the Mumbai police and scheduled for commando training. In physique, he was a match to Salman. He was assigned as Salman’s bodyguard after the latter received threats from the underworld.
Immediately after the accident, Ravindra went to the Bandra police station and filed a complaint. He was behaving like an honest cop instead of hushing up matters.
He narrated exactly what happened to the police and a case was registered against Salman. He even appeared in Court and testified. That was the day his life was about to come apart.
As he was a witness in a high profile case, Ravindra was dropped from the commando training team. Subjected to unbearable pressure and harassment from his own police department, Ravindra frequently abstained from his duties as a constable and even left Mumbai. His brother even filed a missing complaint.
When Salman’s case came up for hearing as Ravindra was not present, arrest warrants were issued against him and he was finally arrested in Mahabaleshwar.
A man who was trained as a commando was now a convict. After his release from jail, he was afflicted with a disease and his weight came down to a shocking 30 kgs. He was dismissed from his job of a constable and his wife also divorced him.
Reduced to the status of a beggar, Ravindra’s disease worsened and he could barely talk or walk and lost all his hair. He breathed his last in a hospital in 2007.
Prior to his death, Ravindra told media persons: “That accident destroyed my life.” And today, Twitter is abuzz with comments of sympathy and outpouring of grief for Salman who is known for ‘Being Human’.
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