Status of poaching cases against Salman Khan

Jodhpur, Jan 18 (IANS) 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.