Salman walks free: 13 years after, hit-and-run victims await compensation

The 2002 hitandrun accident killed one and injured four other workers from the A1 Bakery who were asleep on the pavement Nurullah Sharif was killed while Abdullah Shaikh Muslim Shaikh Munnu Khan and Mohammed Kalim were injuredFrancis Fernandes an eyewitness was seen giving an interview at the spot on Hill Road where Salman Khanrsquos Land Cruiser had claimed a life on that fateful September day in 2002 However what caught our eye was a man lying on the pavement seeming oblivious to the fact that this pavement was once home to several others like him who slept one night and never woke up PicPradeep Dhivarmidday contacted Muslim Shaikh and Munnu Khan two of the victims who were injured on that fateful September morning in 2002 while sleeping on the pavement outside the American Express laundry Even after 13 years Muslim Shaikh still isnrsquot able to walk properly He claims that he has received only Rs 175 lakh in 2007 as his compensationSpeaking to midday Shaikh said ldquoSince the time of the incident I have settled in a small village in Uttar Pradesh as I cannot take care of the expenses of my family members while existing on one leg It had become difficult for me to survive in the city so I opted to live in my native villagerdquoHe added ldquoI donrsquot even remember what happened I was asleep when the incident took place and due to its impact I was lodged under the car unconscious When I regained my consciousness I was in the Bhabha HospitalrdquolsquoDonrsquot know who was drivingrsquoWhen asked whether he saw Salman Khan driving the car he said ldquoWhen I was in hospital everyone around me was saying that Salman Khan was driving the car But I seriously donrsquot know what had happened Nobody has approached me from his side since that dayrdquoThe doctors in UP claim that the steel rod in Muslim Shaikhrsquos left leg which was joined after the incident has been damaged and he does not have the money to get it fixed ldquoThe doctors claim that the rod is damaged and needs to be changed but I am not able to do sordquoMunnu Khan another victim who still works at A1 Bakery in Mumbai says he accepted the court decision Because of the accident Khan still faces problems in his right leg He said ldquoJo court faisala kiya wohi humara faisala hai The courtrsquos decision is my decisionrdquolsquoSaw Salman drivingrsquoWhen asked if he saw Salman driving the car Khan replied in the affirmative He said that he told the court the same thing that he saw on the night of the accident He adds that he wouldnrsquot lie about such a thing and punish himself in the processRegarding his injuries Khan said that he was hospitalised on the day of incident and was discharged after 24 hours Later he was going being treated by a private doctor His right leg mdash which was injured during the accident mdash is still problematic especially during the winter The compensation that he received did not even cover his treatment However Khan says that he doesnrsquot expect any compensation from anyone