Relief for Salman Khan; Rajasthan HC acquits him in blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases

The Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur on Monday acquitted actor Salman Khan in the Blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases.

Salman had appealed before the high court challenging the lower court`s verdict that had handed him one and five years' imprisonment, respectively, in the two separate cases of poaching.

Appeals of Khan against sentence in the two cases relating to poaching of Chinkaras in Bhawad and Mathania was allowed by the high court which acquitted him in both the cases.  Justice Nirmal Jit Kaur rejected the plea of the state government against the actor.

While arguing the case in the high court, defence counsel Mahesh Bora had contended that Khan had been falsely framed in these cases, merely on the statements of a key witness Harish Dulani, the driver of the vehicle, which was allegedly used in poaching in both these cases.

Bora argued that Dulani was never available to them for cross examination and hence his statements could not be relied upon in conviction of Khan. He also argued that both of these cases have been built on circumstantial evidences and there was no eye-witness or any material evidence against Khan.

Defence also strongly argued that these pellets had been planted since they were not found in the vehicle during forest department s inspection and were found there surprisingly by the police later.

A case had been registered against Khan under the Arms Act for alleged possession and use of arms with expired licence during poaching of two black bucks at village Kankani near Jodhpur in October, 1998.

Salman was convicted in 2007 for hunting and killing two endangered Chinkara Deer and one Black Buck in Rajasthan in 1998. He has spent time in a Jodhpur jail twice. Both animals are protected and killing them is a punishable offence.

In 2007, he was sentenced to five years in jail and is currently out on bail in the case. But in 2013, the Rajasthan High Court suspended the conviction to make it easier for the actor to travel to the United Kingdom to shoot for a film.

The Rajasthan Government had challenged the High Court's order suspending the actor's conviction.

(With agency inputs)