Putting actor Salman Khan in spotlight again, a petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court that seeks a probe into the circumstances leading to the death of a key eyewitness in the 2002 hit-and-run case. The Bollywood actor was convicted last month and sentenced to five years in jail.

The petition has been filed by Pune-based activist Hemant Patil on Thursday.

"At the time of trial it was revealed that Salman Khan and other unknown persons used undue influence upon Ravindra Patil and attempts were made to prevent him from giving true and correct statements in respect of the case though they failed to turn him a hostile witness," the petition alleged.

The actor was sentenced to five years' RI by a sessions court in the case in which he was charged with killing one person and injuring four others who were sleeping outside a shop in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002.

"Something wrong had occurred and Patil had died under suspicious circumstances," the petitioner   said and demanded an inquiry into the death of Patil.

The petition alleged that because of fear in the mind about Salman and his associates, the witness failed to appear before the court which had issued non-bailable warrant against him. "Instead of providing him protection, the government and police hounded him and put him behind the bars," the petition submitted. He had also been dismissed from the job.

After his release from jail, Patil disappeared and he was found in a Sewree hospital. He had contracted tuberculosis and died on 4 October, 2007.