Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case: A timeline of events from 1998 to 2018
A Jodhpur court will pronounce verdict in the 20-year-old Salman Khan’ blackbuck poaching case on April 5. Salman, along with Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Dushyant Singh are all accused in the case. During the shooting of Sooraj Barjatya’s movie, ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ in 1999, Salman allegedly went on a shooting expedition along with Saif, Neelam, Sonali and Tabu, killing two blackbucks in Kankani village in Rajasthan.
Following is the chronology of arms act case in which Salman Khan is acquitted:
15th October 1998: Salman Khan and other actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam were charged by the Jodhpur court. The Forest department registered a case against Salman Khan under the arms act, it is mentioned that arms was used with expired license for alleged deer poaching on 1st October 1998 night, this took place during the shooting of Rajshri Productions, ‘Hum Saath Saath Hai’.
In 2012: The charge on actor was revised by the high court.
On 19 June 2006: the revision petition first defence and then by state government had held up the trial. The Rajasthan government sought the additional charges section 156 and 147 of the IPC against the five accused.
On 25 may 2013: the trial resumed after a hiatus of seven years.
On 18 December 2014: Court rejected Salman Khan’s application seeking permission to summon the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and District Magistrate (DM) of Mumbai as witnesses in the arms case.
On 25 February 2015: Court deferred the judgement saying four pending applications from the prosecution have come to light.
On 3 March 2015: Jodhpur high court permitted new witnessed, document and evidence as the prosecution had brought up a 9-years-old plea to produced new evidence and witnesses in case.
On 23 April 2015: Chief judicial magistrate accepted an application moved by Salman Khan’s counsel seeking exemption from his appearance in the court on the ground of ill health.
On 29 April 2015: Salman appeared in Jodhpur High Court to record his statement in an arms act case.
On 25 July 2016: Rajasthan High Court acquitted Salman Khan in two more cases of deer poaching saying the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the Salman.
On 27 October 2015: Rajasthan High Court allowed Salman’s petition seeking documents pertaining to the prosecution sanction against him under the arms act.
On October 2016: Special leave petition filed by Rajasthan government against Salman’s acquittal.
On 11 November 2016: Salman’s gets Supreme Court notice on Rajasthan’s appeal over the acquittal in Chinkara poaching case.
On 9 December 2016: Final argument in the case begins.
On January 4, 2018: Salman Khan received a death threat from a notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi of Rajasthan saying he would be killed in Jodhpur.
April 5, 2018: A Jodhpur court has convicted Salman Khan in killing of blackbuck while acquitted others like Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam.