Salman Khan: Victims' families want 'compensation'

Feroz Sheikh lives in a slum in Mumbai

Families of the victims of the 2002 hit-and-run crash involving Bollywood star Salman Khan say life has been hard since the incident. They tell BBC Hindi's Ayush Deshpande and Atul Chandra that all they want is some financial compensation to improve their lives.

"My father died and we are sad because of that. But we do not want any revenge against Salman Khan. What will we gain by his going to jail?" asks Feroz Sheikh.

Mr Sheikh's father, Noor Ullah Khan, 38, was killed when the actor's Toyota Land Cruiser hit the American Express bakery in the Bandra area of Mumbai late on 28 September 2002.

Four others were injured in the incident. They were all sleeping on the pavement.

Thirteen years after the incident, Mr Sheikh says he holds no grudges against Khan and wishes the star would do something to help his family.

The 27-year-old lives in a slum in Mumbai's Malad area, and was surprised by the media scrum outside his home after Wednesday's court ruling which found Khan guilty of killing his father and sentenced him to five years in jail. On Friday, the high court suspended the sentence.

'Not bothered'

"People are coming to see us now. Where were they for the past 13 years?" Mr Sheikh asks.

"The media is obsessed with the news about Salman Khan. But they are not bothered about the people he harmed."

Mr Sheikh says he really wishes to meet Khan and tell him about his woes.

"I have gone to his house many times and tried to meet him. But his security men always drove me away from the gate."

Kaleem Pathan says he has not found any work after the accident

He says he is ready to "forgive" the star if he does something for his family.

"We have gone through very difficult times," Me Sheikh says.

His mother said they were promised a compensation of 1m rupees ($15,634; £10,127)

"But what will we do with this amount at this time of inflation?"

Kaleem Pathan, one of the four men who were injured in the incident, echoes similar sentiments.

Mr Pathan, who now lives in Sultanpur in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, says he used to work in the bakery in Mumbai when the incident happened.

'Compensation matters'

"My hands and feet sustained serious injuries. My waist, chest and legs still hurt. I have not been able to work after that."

He said he was paid a compensation of 150,000 rupees after the incident. Since the accident, he and his wife and daughter have lived with his younger brother and depend on his earnings.

"We thought we will get more compensation and be able to get on with our lives. My life is wasted."

Another victim, Abdullah Rauf Shaikh, was 22 years old and lost a leg in the accident.

He says he has been "forced to do petty jobs [in Mumbai] to support my family and face a lot of problems."

"I have no hard feelings for him [Khan]. I still watch his movies," he told reporters.

"[But] compensation matters more than conviction."