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Digest this! Salman Khan did not kill chinkaras either

Justice Kaur observed that even the prosecution has admitted that they were not able to establish the weapon used for the alleged hunting, leading to the acquittal of Salman under Section 27 of the Arms Act.

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Members of the Bishnoi community protest against the HC decision in Bikaner on Monday.
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A single bench of Rajasthan High Court on Monday acquitted Salman Khan in two cases related to poaching of chinkaras in Bhawad and Mathania here in 1998, saying that the air gun recovered from the actor's room at Ummed Palace cannot kill a big animal. Such guns can kill small animals like rabbit or bird, the court observed.

"The pellets recovered from the gypsy do not match the ones recovered from either the rooms of Salman Khan or Saif Ali Khan, and in any case, the recovered pellets are used only for hunting small animals like a rabbit or a bird. Under these circumstances, it would be highly unsafe to place reliance on such kind of evidence which is surrounded with suspicion and doubt," said Justice Nirmaljit Kaur.

Justice Kaur observed that even the prosecution has admitted that they were not able to establish the weapon used for the alleged hunting, leading to the acquittal of Salman under Section 27 of the Arms Act. Khan, 50, was jailed in 2007 for nearly a week for shooting an endangered gazelle in 1998

The bench observed that a search was conducted in Salman's room at Ummed Bhawan Palace on 10th October, 1998 but no weapon was recovered. The search was conducted again on 12th October, 1998. This time, the camera and reel, pellets, as well as an air gun 1HP35D National Air Rifle .22 caliber, along with the cover and telescope were recovered. When nothing was recovered on 10th, it is not clear how the weapons came there on the 12th.

The said weapons were brought by Uday Raghwan from Mumbai to Jodhpur on being asked by Salman and presented before the investigating officer on 15th October, 1998. Further, the court upheld that it is a known fact that an air gun cannot be used for hunting a deer nor there is any evidence of using .32 bore revolver which he brought from Mumbai when asked by the police.

"That leaves us with .22 rifle (firearm). But there is no evidence that it was brought to Jodhpur. As per the aforesaid written note, .22 rifle was never brought to Jodhpur prior to the incident. The prosecution has relied on the written note of Salman Khan in his own hand writing. If it is to be relied, then as per his statement, .22 rifle (firearm) was brought on the request of forest department after the incident. It was never in Jodhpur on the date of the incident," observed the court.

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