Blackbuck case details: Salman Khan convicted; sentencing; 10 updates

Bollywood actor Salman Khan was held guilty for poaching blackbuck in Jodhpur. Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu were acquitted.

Jodhpur court convicted Bollywood actor Salman Khan and acquitted actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu in 1998 Blackbuck poaching case on Thursday.

Elaborate security arrangements were made in and outside the court premises ahead of the verdict. Final arguments in the case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved the judgment to be pronounced on April 5. All the actors arrived the city and were present in court during pronouncement of the verdict.

Salman Khan, 52, faced charges under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the other actors have been charged under Section 51 read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. Maximum punishment under Section 51 is six years.

The actors were accused of hunting down two blackbucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in village Kankani near Jodhpur on the intervening night of October 1 and 2, 1998. The actors were in the city for the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Public Prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati said there was sufficient evidence against the actors.

All you need to know about blackbuck poaching case

1. April 5: A Jodhpur Court is set deliver the verdict in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case against actor Salman Khan today. Actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam arrived in Jodhpur on Wednesday to be present for the hearing.

2. What the prosecutors say:

“All of them were in a Gypsy car that night, with Salman Khan in the driving seat. He, on spotting a herd of black bucks, shot at and killed two of them,” Public Prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati said.
“But on being spotted and chased, they fled from the spot leaving the dead animals there," he said, adding that there was adequate evidence against them.

3. Salman Khan's defence

Denying these allegations, Salman Khan's counsel H M Saraswat denied allegations by the prosecutor. He said there were several loopholes in the prosecution's story and it had failed to prove its case beyond any doubt.

“Prosecution has failed to prove the allegations. It engaged in tampering and fabricating evidence and documents as well as roping in fake witnesses to prove its case," he said.
"It even failed to prove that the blackbucks were killed by gunshots. Hence, such investigation cannot be trusted," Saraswat said.

4. Who is involved in the case?

Bollywood actors Sonali Bendre, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu and Neelam are involved in the blackbuck poaching case, while Salman Khan is the main accused. It also involved two more accused, Dushyant Singh, who was allegedly accompanying the actors when the poaching took place, and Dinesh Gawre, said to be Salman Khan's assistant.

However, prosecutor Bhati says that Gawre never appeared in court and was made to disappear by Salman Khan. Had he been around, there could have been more information available in the case, he said.

5. The poaching: The forest department recovered the carcasses of blackbucks after the poaching incident. A forensic report also confirmed that the blood samples obtained from Salman Khan's car matched with the blackbucks.

The blackbuck is a species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. Since 2003, it has been listed as near threatened by IUCN and considered an endangered species in India. It is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972

6. November 11, 2016: Salman Khan was issued notice by the Supreme Court on an appeal by the Rajasthan government challenging his acquittal in blackbuck poaching case. The top court agrees to fast-track the plea.

7. July 25, 2016: The Rajasthan High Court acquitted Salman Khan of all charges in the blackbuck poaching case. The High Court said that there was no evidence to prove that the animals which were found dead were shot by the actor's licensed gun.

8. August 31, 2006: The Rajasthan Court suspended the sentence and ordered the actor to not leave the country without formal permission.

9. April 10, 2006: Salman Khan convicted in the blackbuck hunting case. He was slapped a fine and sentenced to five years of jail. He spent a week in jail in Jodhpur before being granted bail.

10. October 2, 1998: A police complaint was filed against the five actors Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam for allegedly killing two blackbucks while they were shooting for the movie Hum Sath Sath Hain in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.

Salman Khan has also been accused of killing two chinkaras and a blackbuck in September 1998. In all, three cases of poaching and one under the Arms Act were registered against Salman Khan in 1998.

What is Arms Act case?

The Arms Act of 1959 is an act of Parliament of India to consolidate and amend the law relating to arms and ammunition in order to curb illegal weapons and violence stemming from them.

Click here : Salman khan convicted