"Patil (38), who was admitted at the hospital in August this year, died due to Bilateral Tuberculosis," a doctor administering treatment to him told PTI in Mumbai.

Patil was in the vehicle driven by Salman Khan in the early hours of September 28, 2002, when the vehicle ran over people sleeping on the pavement in suburban Bandra killing one and injuring four.

He was the one who had gone to the police station and lodged a complaint saying Salman was at the wheel when the accident took place. Patil also told the police that he had advised Salman against driving rash before the vehicle met with an accident while taking a sharp turn.

Patil was abandoned by his family for his excessive drinking habit and disappeared during the trial allegedly 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.

Patil was traced to Panchgani in 2006 and deposed before the court. During cross examination, he told the court that he was unsure if Salman was drunk at the time of accident but maintained that the actor was at the wheel and that he had advised the him to drive safely.

The former bodyguard of Salman was forced to beg and discovered that he had TB in January this year.

All rights reserved.