The Supreme Court refused on Monday to quash a criminal case filed against Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, in connection with a stampede that took place at the Vadodara Railway Station in 2017, while Khan was promoting his movie ‘Raees’.
The Bench of Justice Ajay Rastogi and Justice C.T. Ravikumar upheld the January, 2002 verdict of Gujarat High Court and disposed of an appeal filed by the original complainant against the same.
The incidence took place in January 2017, when Shah Rukh and the production team were travelling from Mumbai to Delhi by train as part of the promotion drive for their film ‘Raees’.
A huge crowd had gathered at the Vadodara railway station, which led to stampede. One person died during the incidence, while several others were injured.
A private complaint was filed by one Jitendra Madhubhai Solanki before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Vadodara, alleging that Shah Rukh Khan’s presence at the Vadodara Railway Station coupled with him throwing T-shirts and smiley balls at the crowd assembled at the station, led to the alleged stampede.
After an enquiry was conducted and report submitted before the Magistrate Court, summons were issued to the actor for the offence of causing death by negligence, mischief, and act leading to endangering life or personal safety of others as well as Sections 145 (drunkenness or nuisance) and 147 (trespass) of the Railways Act.
The actor had moved the High Court against this verdict.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Nikhil S Kariel on April 27, 2022, allowed Khan’s plea, while observing that his acts were not extremely high in negligence or recklessness, nor were they the proximate or efficient cause of the alleged incident.
Solanki then moved the Supreme Court against the High Court’s order. Senior Advocate Vijay Kumar appeared for him in the Apex Court.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, briefed by a team from Karanjawala & Co, led by Senior Partners Ruby Singh Ahuja and Sandeep Kapur, represented Khan.