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The postponement and bail extension drove up shares of at
least one firm having commercial ties with Khan, one of
Bollywood's most bankable actors who is working on several
projects worth millions of dollars.
"We cannot take pleasure in seeing someone inside (jail) while
his rights are being decided," Bombay High Court Judge Abhay
Thipsay said after admitting Khan's appeal against the lower
court's Wednesday order.
The criminal court had convicted Khan, 49, of culpable homicide
on charges he lost control of his car when driving under the
influence of alcohol in 2002 and rammed into a group of people
sleeping on a pavement.
Khan denies being behind the wheel, contradicting the testimony
of several witnesses. In March, the actor's driver said he had
driven, while Khan rode in the passenger seat.
Inside the high court on Friday, Khan's lawyer Amit Desai argued
that the criminal court had ignored evidence that a tire burst
caused the accident. Desai also objected to the lower court's
decision to not take into account views of one of the passengers
who was in the car when the accident happened.
Khan will need to surrender his passport and submit a bail bond
of 30,000 rupees ($469). The high court will next hear the case
on June 12.
Hundreds of fans celebrated outside Khan's flat in a suburban
seaside area of Mumbai, while shares of movie production and
distribution firm Eros International surged as much as 8 percent
after the news.
Shares of textile company Mandhana Industries, which works with
Khan's foundation to design and distribute the "Being Human"
clothing range, also rose.
(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Writing by Aditya Kalra;
Editing by Krishna N. Das and Nick Macfie)
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