A Jodhpur court has convicted Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The actor has been found guilty and sentenced for five years in jail. Salman Khan can however immediately apply for bail. The court heard 28 witnesses including Bishnoi villagers who reportedly came out running from their huts on hearing gunshots. As per the reports, Salman cannot apply for bail in the same court but instead can do the same in a different session court. Salman Khan also has been fined Rs 10,000 in the poaching case. The actor’s lawyers will now approach the Rajasthan High Court for bail in this case.
Other than Hum Sath Sath Hai film’s star cast, others accused in the case include travel agent Dushyant Singh and Salman’s assistant that time Dinesh Gawre. As per the reports, Gawre continues to abscond. In his defence, Salman Khan even pleaded innocence mentioning to the court that the blackbuck died due to “natural causes” and he’s being “framed”.
Salman Khan’s defence counsel, H M Saraswat spoke that the prosecution has failed to prove the case in their limit. During the final arguments, held on March 28, Saraswat said in an official statement, “Prosecution has failed to prove allegations against the accused and has engaged in tampering and fabricating evidences and documents as well as roping in fake witnesses to prove the case. It has even failed to prove that blackbucks were killed by gunshots. Hence such investigation cannot be trusted upon.”
