The Jodhpur District Judge and Session Court will today (December 18) hear two appeals pertaining to the poaching cases against Bollywood actor Salman Khan. One appeal has been filed by Salman challenging his conviction in the Blackbuck poaching case and the other is by the Rajasthan government against his acquittal in the Arms Act case linked to the killing of two blackbucks in Kankani near Jodhpur in 1998.
Earlier, Salman was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by a trial court for killing the endangered animals in October 1998, when Bollywood movie ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain was being shot in Rajasthan. During the shooting of the Sooraj Barjatya movie, Salman allegedly went on a shooting expedition along with fellow actors Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and Tabu, killing two blackbucks. While Salman was convicted, the other actors were acquitted in the two-decade-old case due to lack of evidence.
He then filed an appeal in the sessions court, challenging the trial court’s verdict against him. Arguments in the appeal have been progressing in the sessions court. Besides the cases of poaching of endangered blackbucks under Wildlife (Protection) Act, a case under sections 3/25 and 3/27 of the Arms Act was filed against Salman for allegedly keeping and using the firearms with an expired license in the poaching of blackbucks.
