Jodhpur–Salman Khan, who was acquitted in an Arms Act case on Wednesday by chief judicial court in Jodhpur, is facing three other cases relating to alleged poaching of chinkaras and blackbucks during the shooting of Hindi film “Hum Saath Saath Hain” in 1998 in Jodhpur.
In Bhawad, on the outskirts of Jodhpur, Salman is alleged to have killed a chinkara, Indian gazelle, on September 27, 1998. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) on February 17, 2006, found him guilty and gave him an year’s imprisonment. However, the High Court acquitted him last year in this case. The state government has gone to the Supreme Court in this case.
In the second case, Salman is alleged to have killed two chinkaras in Ghoda Farm near Jodhpur on September 29, 1998. The Chief Judicial Magistrate on April 10, 2006 sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. Rajasthan High Court last year acquitted him of the charges. The state government then filed a special leave petition in the case in the Supreme Court last year.
Salman had to spend a few nights in jail in this case, two times in April 2006 and then in August 2007.
Likewise, Salman and a few other Bollywood stars are accused of poaching blackbucks on the midnight of October 1-2, 1998 on the outskirts of Kankani village near Jodhpur. In this case, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate has asked Salman, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre to be personally present in the court to record their statement.
Salman was accused of carrying and using illegal arms also as he was alleged to have been carrying arms with expired licence. A case under different sections of the Arms Act was registered against him thereafter.
However, the CJM court found him not guilty and acquitted him on Wednesday January 18, 2017.
Here is the timeline:
Timeline
Bollywood superstar Khan’s acquittal on Wednesday in an Arms Act case, involving the alleged killing of blackbucks, allowed him relief in the case after over 18 years of litigation.
Allegations of poaching blackbucks were levelled against Salman in 1998 when he was in Jodhpur to shoot Hindi film “Hum Saath Saath Hain”.
The FIR was registered at Luni police station under the Arms Act on 15.10.1998. However, it took two years in investigation and a charge sheet was filed in the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court on 28.07.2000. After lapse of six months, charges were framed against Salman Khan on 27.01.2001.
Thereafter, the trial in this case began in the CJM court on 12.03.2001. However, during the trail, several revision petitions were filed while challenging the charges framed against Salman and other co-actors. Therefore, the trial in the subordinate court was held up and it remained stalled for almost seven years.
After the decision of the revision petitions filed by the Rajasthan government and Salman Khan, the trial resumed in the CJM court on 25.05.2013 and Salman was summoned by the court, as accused, for recording statements on 29/01/14.
After completion of the trial, the CJM court reserved its verdict and the case got listed for the same on 25.02.2014, but before pronouncement, the prosecution pointed out a few old undecided applications in regard to prosecution witnesses. Therefore, the decision in the case got deferred and the court while granting the application, allowed four fresh witnesses to be examined.
After completion of their examination, Salman was re-summoned for accused statements on 10.03.2016. Thereafter, final arguments in the case began on 09.12.2016 which got completed on 09.01.2017. The court reserved its verdict again, which was then pronounced on Wednesday.
