Rajasthan govt requests SC for urgent hearing against Salman Khan's acquittal

The Rajasthan Government on Thursday requested the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing against Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's acquittal after moving the apex court on Wednesday challenging the Rajasthan High Court's verdict in the twin Chinkara poaching cases.

The Rajasthan High Court on July 25 had acquitted Salman of all charges in the two cases related to poaching of Chinkaras in Jodhpur in 1998 while holding that the pellets recovered from the Chinkaras were not fired from Khan's licensed gun.

The High Court's decision were countering two trial court's verdict convicting the Bollywood actor and handing him one and five years of imprisonment, following which the superstar had to spend 13 days in jail.

Salman was convicted by a lower court in 2006 in the two chinkara cases, but this was overturned by the High Court in its judgment Monday.

One of the animals was killed at Bhawad on the outskirts of Jodhpur on September 26, 1998, and the other at Ghoda Farms on September 28, 1998.

At that time, they were shooting for film 'Hum Sath Sath Hain'.

Chinkara is an endangered animal accorded the highest protection under the Wildlife Protection Act.