The night at Kankani village 20 years ago that still haunts Salman Khan

NEW DELHI: What happened—or did not—at the intervening night of October 1 and 2 on 1998 in a village called Kankani near Jodhpur in Rajasthan has haunted Salman Khan and many of his co-actors for two decades. On Thursday a trial court pronounced the final verdict in the case, where Salman was convicted and other actors walked free. Earlier, Salman was acquitted in two more cases of killing of chinkaras and an arms case and his acquittal in the chinkaras case was challenged by the prosecution.

Here's what is claimed to have happened on the night that haunts Salman:

Salman and his co-actors Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and Tabu were in Jodhpur for the shooting of the Sooraj Barjatiya film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.

Salman and his co-stars allegedly went on a hunting session in Bhagoda ki Dhani in Kankani village and killed two blackbucks. Poonamchand Bishnoi, a local from the Bishnoi community that protects blackbucks for religious reasons, claims that he had gone out to answer the nature's call when he heard gunshots. He claims he saw the headlights of a jeep and noticed Salman and Saif in the front seats and Tabu, Neelam and Bendre in the back seats.

Bishnoi claims that he heard Salman's co-actors telling him to shoot at a herd of blackbucks which Salman did. He killed two blackbucks, the witness alleges. All allegedly fled the spot when spotted by Bishnoi, leaving behind the carcasses of the blackbucks. Bishnoi claims he noted down the number of the jeep and informed the forest department. The forest department recovered the carcasses of black bucks. A forensic report said that the blood samples obtained from Salman's car matched with those of black bucks.

However, the defence claims the account is fabricated, evidence tampered and witnesses fake. The defence has pointed out several loopholes. It claims the prosecution has failed to prove that the black bucks were killed by gun shots.