Salman's plea against poaching case conviction heard in Rajasthan court

A district court on Tuesday heard a plea by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan against his conviction by a trial court in the 1998 Kankani blackbuck poaching case and fixed August 3 and 4 for further hearing.

The hearing on Salman's appeal continued for around three hours in pre- and post-lunch hours in the court of District and Sessions Judge Chandra Kumar Sonagara.

Salman Khan was convicted for shooting and killing two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur on the night of October 1, 1998, during the shooting of film "Hum Saath Saath Hain".

His co-stars and co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, who had accompanied the actor that night, were however acquitted by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jodhpur Rural.

Defending his client in the sessions court, defence lawyer Mahesh Bora cited two similar cases of Chinkara poaching wherein Salman Khan was acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court.

He contended that these two cases had the similar evidence, documents and similar prosecution stories, adding that why Salman Khan should be held guilty in this instant case.

During the last hearing, defence counsel Hastimal Saraswat had submitted an application in the district court, arguing that the Kankani blackbuck poaching case and the Arms Act case registered thereof should he heard together since both were similar in nature and had common witnesses.

The court had fixed July 17 for hearing in both the cases.

However, as per the court process, the Arms Act case hearing will start only after poaching case hearing ends, said informed sources.

Salman Khan was granted bail in the poaching case on April 7, after spending two nights in the Jodhpur Central Jail. He was sentenced to five years in jail on April 5 by the CJM court in the case.

--IANS

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