Inida's Privileged Defend Hit and Run Driver, Attack Poor for Sleeping on Streets

[JI7]

<Late one September night, Salman Khan's car ploughed into a bakery and ran into five people sleeping in the street - killing one homeless man. In the 13 years since, he's protested his innocence, but on Wednesday a judge found him guilty of culpable homicide and sent him to jail for five years.

The actor's name soon became one of the biggest topics trending on social media. Many were pleased that justice was done in the case, but several prominent Twitter users in fact defended the Bollywood star. Abhijeet, a famous singer, said: "footpath r not meant 4 sleeping, not driver's or alcohol's fault."

Farah Khan Ali, a jewellery designer married to a star DJ who has more than 650,000 Twitter followers, commented along the same lines: "No one should be sleeping on the road or footpath. It is dangerous to do that just like it is dangerous to cross tracks.">

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-32609927

[okaawhatever]

1. So the message is that footpaths (sidewalks) shouldn't be used for sleeping so that they can

be used by drunk drivers for driving. I guess they don't understand that both the homeless man and Mr. Khan had a different definition of a footpath/sidewalk. Mr. Khan thought sidewalk=road, the homeless man thought sidewalk=home

[Kber]

2. The article content is more nuanced than the title

Agarwal says the verdict prompted mixed reactions across the country. "Personally, I had mixed feelings when I heard the news of the verdict, because it's been so long and I'm a fan like so many others but if you commit the crime you have to do the time." she says. "But frankly it's unfortunate that in our country this happens so often. We've become desensitised to poverty, corruption and crime. So it feels a little hollow that so many other crimes go unpunished and now there's a media circus about this one. But I suppose that at least in this case there was a verdict, even if it did happen 13 years later."

[JI7]

3. the title referred to the "privileged" which is accurate as much of the industry is supporting him

there was backlash but mostly among the regular people.

[Recursion]

4. I guarantee he'll pull a Sanjay Dutt and waltz in and out of jail

He'll be in Arthur Road Jail (right next to my house, incidentally) for about two days until the doctor (that he pays for) can come and "diagnose" him as hypertense and recommend that he serve out his sentence on home confinement.

[JI7]

5. isn't he already out on bail ?

which i don't really understand since he was already convicted so how can they bail him out ?

[Recursion]

6. Lots of people in the US don't go immediately to jail from sentencing too

If you've posted surety the judge may say "you have two weeks to get your crap in order; report to jail by May 23rd" or whatever. India's even got something called "anticipatory bail" which lets you pay a lower amount if you do it before they arrest you.

[Recursion]

7. WTF!? His bail was only 30,000 rupees!?!?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/08/us-india-bollywood-idUSKBN0NT0UD20150508

[Recursion]

8. OMFG HIS ENTIRE SENTENCE WAS SUSPENDED

No link; this was the Mumbai talk radio news.

[JI7]

9. the entire thing is one reason why india has so many problems

the corruption . during the time he was bailed out he paid off whoever he had to in order to get away with it.

the homeless person he killed is attacked by the wealthy for sleeping on the streets.

[U4ikLefty]

10. Affluenza? nt