Actor Sohail Khan's Lexus SUV mowed down a pavement dweller while she was crossing a road at Bandra (West) on Sunday night. According to initial reports, the alcohol test on the driver, Dhananjay Pimpale, was negative. Eyewitnesses confirmed that no member of the Khan family was in the vehicle when the woman, said to have been in her 70s, was crushed, police said.

Pimpale, 46, surrendered around 1.30am and the police booked him for causing death by negligence. He was later produced before a court and freed on bail.

Expressing "shock", Sohail said, "The news has been hyped up. Instead of focusing on who was in the car, people should focus on the fact that a woman has died. The accident happened by mistake."

The driver reportedly left superstar Salman Khan's residence near Bandstand for his brother Sohail's Hill Road home around 11pm. He had driven around 100 metres when he realized that he had forgotten his tiffin box at Salman's residence. He took a sudden U-turn, crushing pavement dweller Chandanbala.

'Driver saw some black plastic bag and did not know there was lady'

Actor Sohail Khan's driver Dhananjay Pimpale reportedly did not stop to help an elderly woman after running over her near Bandstand on Sunday night. He instead sped away from the spot.

Eyewitnesses said they had seen Pimpale behind the wheel and the vehicle had dragged Chandanbala a few metres before speeding away. Passersby took her to Bhabha Hospital, where doctors refused to treat her. She was left unattended near the hospital's mortuary, and breathed her last 30 minutes later.

"The woman had come to live on the footpath near Salman's home only a week ago. She appeared to be suffering from some old age-related diseases. Her body was infested with worms, so people used to stay away from her," the security guard of a building near the accident spot said.

Pimpale told police that he was unaware that he had crushed the woman and realized it only after people started screaming at him to stop. "He sped away fearing he would get beaten up," an officer said.

Superstar Salman Khan sounded disturbed by the incident. He said, "First there was an accident on the Dabangg set, where three of my unit members were injured, and now this one. It makes me feel really sad." He said Sunday night's accident "happened by mistake. I spoke to the driver whom I consider a very responsible and careful person. He told me he saw some black plastic bag and did not know there was lady".

The police said they had recorded statements of eyewitnesses, who said Pimpale was at the wheel of the vehicle. They have seized the vehicle for examination and asked for its documents for verification. The vehicle is registered in the name of actor Arbaaz Khan and his younger brother Sohail was using it.