Controversy king of Bollywood, Salman Khan’s former bodyguard Ravindra Patil succumbed to Bilateral Tuberculosis at TB Hospital, Sewri on October 3. He had been assigned to protect Khan after the actor complained of underworld threats.
Patil was also an eyewitness to the hit-and run case of September 28, 2002, when an allegedly drunk Khan ran his Land Cruiser over pavement dwellers sleeping outside American Express Bakery in Bandra. One person, Noorulla Mahboob Sharif was killed and four were injured in the accident.
Abandoned by his family due to his excessive drinking habits, Patil had been suffering from severe tuberculosis since the last two years and was in a very bad shape. Since then, he has been leading a very lonely life. His fried Sushant Sawant admitted him to the hospital on August 11, but had not disclosed about it.
He was with Khan in the Land Cruiser on that fatal night, when the accident happened. Patil later confirmed before the police that Khan was behind the wheel and that he had tried to warn Khan against reckless driving. However, he stated that he wasn’t sure if Khan was drunk.
Interestingly enough, he was not only an eyewitness but also the complainant of the case. But, he disappeared from the scene of trial mid-way, due to alleged pressure from Salman’s family members. The court issued summons to him to appear and later issued an arrest warrant when he did not. The disappearance cost Patil his police job in November 2006. Later, he was arrested from Mahableshwar.
Lawyers said his death would not affect the trial since his testimony had already been recorded.
