Blackbuck poaching case: Court accepts Salman’s plea, next hearing on Jan 16

Jaipur, Dec 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Bollywood star Salman Khan on Tuesday was granted exemption from marking attendance in the court in the Blackbuck hunting and Arms Act case and the next hearing date has now been set for January 16, his lawyer Hastimal Saraswat told IANS.

Khan was supposed to mark his attendance during the hearing in the court of District and Sessions District Judge Raghavendra Kachwal on Tuesday, however, Salman's advocate submitted an application for exempting him from attending the court, quoting Covid-19 spread, and hence, the plea was duly accepted by the court.

Now, the next hearing on this matter will be held on January 16 and the court has ordered Salman to appear in the court.

Salman's advocate Hastimal Saraswat submitted an application in the court explaining reasons for his absence. In his petition, he said the respondent resides in Mumbai and as Covid-19 spread is quite high in Mumbai and Jodhpur, his coming to Jodhpur is not free from danger. Therefore, the respondent should be given an exemption from attending the hearing.

The court accepted the plea of Salman, however, it fixed the next date of hearing on January 16 and ordered Salman to appear in court on the said date.

The District and Sessions Court in Jodhpur is hearing Salman Khan's appeal against a verdict that sentenced him to five years' in jail in the poaching case in April 2018. Later, Salman appealed in the said District and Sessions Court against the punishment. At the same time, the state government challenged the decision to acquit Salman in the Arms Act case. On Tuesday, both these cases were to be heard.

Source: IANS