The wife of Nurullah Mahboob Khan, who was killed in the 2002 accident, with her grandson
On September 28, 2002, when actor Salman Khan's SUV crashed into a pavement in Mumbai, one family lost its only earning member.
Nurullah Mahboob Shaikh, who was sleeping on the pavement along with a few others, died on the spot. As a court on Wednesday found Salman Khan guilty in the 13-year-old case and sentenced him to five years in jail, it meant little to Nurullah's wife.
"Our daily needs, a square meal, education for my children...it is a struggle. We have received no help from either the government or Salman Khan. I have raised my children with great difficulty," she told NDTV, her grandson in her arms.
"I don't want Salman to be punished but he should help us for stable life," said Nurullah's son Feroz.
On the Bombay High Court's orders, the actor paid Rs 19 lakh for the victims - 10 lakh for the family of the dead man, three lakh for the seriously injured and 1.5 lakh for those with minor injuries.
None of the money reached the family of Nurullah as his wife could not produce documents to prove their marriage. Sources say the family has now submitted the documents.
A Mumbai sessions court yesterday rejected Salman Khan's claims that it was his driver who was at the wheel of his Toyota Land Cruiser at the time of the accident.
"You were driving the car, without a licence and you were under the influence of alcohol," the judge told the 49-year-old actor.
Abdullah Rauf Shaikh, who lost a leg in the accident, says he has "no hard feelings" and watches Salman Khan's movies.
"Nobody came to visit me in the last 13 years. I only do small jobs to somehow support my family. For me, compensation matters more than conviction," said Shaikh, who was 22 when the incident changed his life.
"If Salman is punished, I will not be benefited in any way. I will not get my leg back," he added.