Traces of alcohol in Salman's blood

The medical test conducted on Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who killed one and injured four others in a case of rash driving on Saturday, has revealed traces of alcohol, but not necessarily beyond the permissible limit, a senior police official said yesterday.

Joint Commissioner of Police Ahmed Javed, who has been asked by the Maharashtra government to probe the accident, refused to disclose the percentage of alcohol content in the blood amid speculation the percentage found may not be enough to say that he was driving "under the influence of alcohol".

"Testing positive for alcohol is nothing significant as you can find alcohol in the blood of those who are even moderate drinkers," said Joe Gaikwad, a police inspector in Mumbai. "The issue is whether he was under the influence of alcohol while driving. That has not been proved."

Police were furious that the actor left the scene of the accident and had been concerned that blood samples taken after he finally surrendered could prove negative for alcohol because of the eight-hour delay.

The actor drove over five men who were sleeping outside a bakery and then ran away from the scene only to be arrested later in the morning by the Bandra police. All this and the fact that he was released on a bail of Rs950 has triggered off a public controversy.

The actor has been charged under Section 304 A of the Indian Penal Code which stipulates a fine and a maximum imprisonment of two years for causing death due to negligence.

Yesterday, angry protestors raised slogans outside Khan's residence.

The public have been speculating whether the Bandra police were bribed by the actor or whether they were lax as a celebrity was the focus of attention. This led to Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal to order a probe.

On Monday, he said it would not be right to let off a person who drives over poor people sleeping on the roadside on a mere bail of Rs950. He has asked the Law and Judiciary Department to provide suggestions as to how the law against rash and drunken driving can be made more stringent.

It is also possible that the police are looking at the possibility of clubbing several cases against the actor. A couple of complaints are already pending against him in the city police stations even as his notorious behaviour with former girlfriend and film star Aishwarya Rai has been well-publicised. Rai's father had lodged a complaint with the police early this year.

In January 2001, he had reportedly gone to the Film City in a drunken state and manhandled the actress who was shooting for a film with Abhishek Bachchan.

In a recent interview, Rai had talked of Khan physically attacking her, though till now she has not complained to the police.