Bollywood star Salman Khan has been granted a new trial for a homicide charge relating to a fatal car accident over a decade ago.

The Dabangg actor stands accused of running over five people who were sleeping on a sidewalk in Mumbai, India in September, 2002, killing one man and injuring the other four.

He was originally charged with culpable homicide, but his lawyers successfully fought to have the count reduced to causing death by negligence, which carries a maximum of two years behind bars.

However, the judge overseeing the long-running case reinstated the more serious offence earlier this year (13), and the actor was officially charged in July (13).

The ruling prompted Khan, who maintains his innocence, to request that evidence previously presented in court be discarded in light of the culpable homicide accusation, and the motion was accepted on Thursday (05Dec13).

Judge D.W. Deshpande declared all witnesses will be re-examined and set a pre-trial date for 23 December (13), four days before Khan's 48th birthday (27Dec13).

The actor faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of culpable homicide.