Shah Rukh Khan referred to as the King Khan of Bollywood can exhale with relief after the Supreme Court decided in his favor in a stampede case. High-profile Congress party politician Jitendra Solanki filed the lawsuit accusing Shah Rukh Khan of allegedly creating a stampede at the Vadodara train station in 2017 while promoting his movie Raees, which resulted in one man passing away from a heart attack.
The Supreme Court's Monday decision in Shah Rukh Khan's favor noted that “Celebrities have rights like all other citizens and cannot be made vicariously culpable”. The Gujarat High Court had previously dismissed a criminal case against the actor, and the Supreme Court of India refused to do the same.
According to the Hindustan Times, Congress politician Jitendra Solanki appealed a Gujarat High Court judgment in April this year that halted a criminal case filed against Shah Rukh Khan in connection with a man's death at Vadodara train station in 2017.
“What was the fault of this man (Khan)?". The Bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and CT Ravi Kumar noted this while upholding the Gujarat high court's ruling: "Just because he is a celebrity, it doesn’t mean he has no rights”. According to the Hindustan Times, the Court stated that Khan could not be expected to guarantee everyone's safety or offer a personal guarantee when riding a train. “If somebody travels by train, there is no personal guarantee. A celebrity has equal rights like every other citizen of the country,” said the Bench.
“He (Khan) is a celebrity but that doesn’t mean he can control everyone else. Let us focus on more important subjects that deserve attention and time of this court”, the bench added.
The legal team from Karanjawala & Co. led by senior counsel Sidharth Luthra represented Shah Rukh Khan in court.
According to the main publication's report, on January 23, 2017, a sizable crowd gathered at the Vadodara train station upon the approach of the August Kranti Express, which Khan was traveling in to promote the film.
Local politician Farheed Khan Pathan had a heart attack at the train station due to the stampede-like situation brought on by the crowds of people hoping to see the actor.
According to Hindustan Times, the Vadodara magisterial court summoned Khan later that year as a result of a complaint from Solanki, who was concerned about filing an FIR against the actor. However, the Bench requested Solanki to put the case to rest and questioned the "personal interest" he was pursuing. The Bench rejected his appeal, stating that it would be wiser to summarize these cases.
On the professional front, 2023 will undoubtedly be a significant year for Shah Rukh Khan's admirers. In 2023, he will appear in three movies. His future films include Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki.
