Trial in blackbuck poaching case resumes

The trial in the 1998 blackbuck hunting case involving actor Salman Khan today resumed here with prosecution witness claiming that he had seen the actor and his co-stars "driving after the blackbucks" and had tried to stop them along with another person.
The main prosecution witness was cross examined by Khan's counsel Hasti Mal Saraswat, sources said, adding that the questioning lasted for over two hours and will again resume on August 2.
Prosecution witness Poonam Chand today appeared before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (District) Chandra Kala Jain.
Khan's lawyer asked him questions on the basis of the statements recorded by the then forest officer Lalit Boda on October 11, 1998 at the forest office.

For this, the court had arranged a television set and video cassette player to listen to the recorded statements of Chand.
The defence, however, said that most of the Chand's answers to the court today did not match the statements given by him to the forest officer in 1998.

Chand, while narrating the sequence of events on the day of the alleged poaching by Khan and his co-stars including Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and Tabbu, said that he had "seen them driving after the blackbucks".
Chand claimed that he and another eye witness Choga Ram, who also has to be cross examined yet, had stopped them.

There are 51 witnesses in the case of poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani area.
The counsels of Khan's co-stars will also cross examine the witnesses.