Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s bail plea will be heard by a Sessions Court in Jodhpur at 10:30am today. The actor spent the night in the Jodhpur Central Prison after being convicted by a trial court in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and sentenced to five years in jail. Salman Khan, now Qaidi No. 106 at the Jodhpur prison, was reportedly served simple dal-roti last night, but did not eat. He reportedly has a simple wooden bed, a rug and a cooler in his cell. Salman Khan was accused of killing two blackbucks in October 1998 during the shooting of Hum Saath Saath Hain in the Rajasthani city. His co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari were acquitted by the court.
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Apr 6, 2018 9:19 am (IST)
Even as Salman Khan has spent a night as prisoner no 106 in Jodhpur Central jail, hopes are not completely over for the Bollywood actor as his lawyer is ready with a 51 page bail application where 54 grounds have been raised for the judge to consider and grant him bail. Hastimal Saraswat, Khan's lawyer told News18 that there are definite problems with the verdict delivered by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri and that it needs reconsideration. Khan currently has no plans to appeal in the High Court as the right of first appeal is yet to be exhausted and in case it fails, it is only then that HC will be approached. "If it was not Salman Khan, bail would have been granted the next day," said Saraswat.
Apr 6, 2018 9:05 am (IST)
Film producer Sajid Nadiadwala, and Salman Khan's brothers, Arbaaz and Sohail, will take the 11:45 am flight out of Mumbai to Jodhpur. Nadiadwala had earlier made news when he canceled a party to celebrate the success of his film, Baaghi 2, as a mark of respect for Salman's legal troubles.
Apr 6, 2018 8:47 am (IST)
Even as animal rights groups hailed the Jodhpur court's decision to sentence Salman Khan to five years imprisonment for the alleged killing of two blackbucks in 1998, his colleagues in the film industry were as vocal in their support for the superstar. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi tweeted his support for Bollywood's bhai, noting,"The length of sentence seems excessive and must be appealed."
Feeling very sad that Salman Khan has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for allegedly shooting a black buck. 5 years! The length of sentence seems excessive and must be appealed. @BeingSalmanKhan has all my sympathy and support. #WeLoveYouSalmanKhan
If there is one thing that Jodhpur (Rural) Court judge Dev Kumar Khatri relied on the most in his 200-page verdict convicting Salman Khan, it was primarily eyewitness Poonam Chand’s statement. Khatri dismissed most of the defence arguments, sentencing the Bollywood actor to a five-year jail term and a fine of Rs 10,000. The judge acquitted Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and Dushyant Singh as the eyewitness could not corroborate his charges with his statement or could neither identify any of them correctly. The judge noted that the eyewitness could only speak clearly about Salman and that he fired and killed the two black bucks.
Apr 6, 2018 8:18 am (IST)
Their hunting was portrayed in the miniature paintings of the Mughal era and they were the targets of royal families for centuries for sport, but today the now-endangered blackbuck felled a superstar. Highlighting the vulnerability of this animal species, Gauri Maulekhi, Trustee, People For Animals (PFA) says blackbucks, known for their soft coat and characteristic twisted horns, are very "nervous by nature and sometimes just die of cardiac arrest only in the face of a perceived danger". "In 2008, they were declared 'Near Threatened' by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but in 2017, moved to the category of 'Least Concern'," she said. According to the IUCNredlist.org, their range declined sharply in the 20th century because of "unsustainable hunting". "The blackbuck formerly occurred across almost the whole of the Indian subcontinent south of the Himalaya. Their range decreased during the 20th century and they are now extinct in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Blackbuck are still present in the terai zone of Nepal," it said.
Apr 6, 2018 8:12 am (IST)
Blackbucks are protected animals under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Act since 1972. Tiger, leopard, elephant, pangolin, monitor lizards, pythons fall in the same category. Scientifically called Antilope cervicapra, it is an ungulate species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent and has a life span of 10-15 years, experts said. In India, they are found across Gujarat, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and parts of Andhra Pradesh. A herbivore species, blackbucks inhabit in open grassland, dry thorn scrub, scrubland and lightly-wooded country as well as agricultural margins, where it is often seen feeding in fields. They are mainly sedentary, but in summer may move longer distances in search of water and forage.
Apr 6, 2018 7:48 am (IST)
Animal right groups have welcomed Salman Khan’s sentencing, saying the verdict proves that no one is above the law. A section of activists, however, said the actor should have been given the maximum punishment under the Wildlife Act. "The verdict shows, whether you are Salman Khan or an ordinary citizen, the facts will be heard by a court and the law will prevail," said PETA India spokesperson Sachin Bangera. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), People For Animals (PFA), Wildlife SOS and Humane Society were among the groups that welcomed the verdict.
Apr 6, 2018 7:41 am (IST)
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s bail plea will be heard by a Sessions Court in Jodhpur at 10:30am today. The actor spent the night in the Jodhpur Central Prison after being convicted by a trial court in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and sentenced to five years in jail. Salman Khan was accused of killing two blackbucks in October 1998 during the shooting of Hum Saath Saath Hain in the Rajasthani city. His co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari were acquitted by the court. Salman Khan, now Qaidi No. 106 at the Jodhpur prison, was reportedly served simple dal-roti last night, but did not eat. He reportedly has a simple wooden bed, a rug and a cooler in his cell.
Apr 5, 2018 8:45 pm (IST)
According to jail officials, Salman Khan has not eaten anything post the verdict and even refused to tea. He was offered a cauliflower and potato vegetable dish, a pulse and a Chappati, which he did not eat. He also did not drink the tea served to him. Officials also said that Salman would sleep on the floor tonight. They added that his BP had shot up after the verdict but it is normal now. The actor is being kept in ward number and has been given number 106. Currently, he is wearing his own clothes, but he will be given jail clothes once the jail store opens on Friday morning.
Apr 5, 2018 7:57 pm (IST)
DIG, prisons, Vikram Singh has said there will be no VVIP treatment for Salman Khan in the Jodhpur Jail. “He has been given number 106 & is lodged in Ward number 2. He was made to undergo medical test & has no medical issues. He hasn't made any demands. We'll give him jail uniform tomorrow. Multiple-layer security has been put up for his ward,” he said.
Apr 5, 2018 7:50 pm (IST)
Animal Rights Activists Welcome Verdict
Animal right groups have welcomed the sentencing of Bollywood star Salman Khan, asserting the verdict proved no one was above the law, while a section of activists said the actor should have been given the maximum punishment under the Wildlife Act. "The verdict shows, whether you are Salman Khan or an ordinary citizen, the facts will be heard by a court and the law will prevail," PETA India spokesperson Sachin Bangera said. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), People For Animals (PFA), Wildlife SOS and Humane Society were among the groups that welcomed the verdict. "We are happy that justice has prevailed and a serial offender is behind bars. The judiciary has once again proved that the popularity of the accused has no bearing on the case before the court," PFA trustee Gauri Maulekhi said. Khan, arguably Bollywood's most successful actor, had earlier been charged in other animal poaching cases. A top forest official, who did not wish to be identified, said Khan should have been given the maximum punishment of six years under the law. "Being a Schedule I species, and this being a high-profile case, a strong message would have been sent if the maximum sentence under the Wildlife Act was given," he said.
Apr 5, 2018 7:42 pm (IST)
Apr 5, 2018 7:14 pm (IST)
A timeline of cases actor Salman Khan has found himself embroiled in.
Apr 5, 2018 7:13 pm (IST)
Apr 5, 2018 7:13 pm (IST)
Apr 5, 2018 7:11 pm (IST)
Apr 5, 2018 7:09 pm (IST)
Apr 5, 2018 7:09 pm (IST)
Salman Khan has landed in prison for the fifth time. He will spend the night in Jodhpur jail as prisoner number 106. The bail hearing in a sessions court has been scheduled for tomorrow morning.
Apr 5, 2018 6:58 pm (IST)
Salman Khan has often found himself on the wrong side of the law. Here is a timeline of his legal troubles.
Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar batted for his 'friend' Salman Khan, following the latter's conviction by a Jodhpur court for the killing of two blackbucks in 1998.
Salman Khan enters Jodhpur Central Jail following his sentencing by the court for the poaching of two Blackbucks in 1998.
Apr 5, 2018 6:34 pm (IST)
The Jodhpur court in its judgment holding Salman Khan guilty said “the accused is a famous actor and common people may try to emulate him, despite this he violated the wildlife act and killed the blackbucks”. The court has sentenced Salman to five years in jail. In the judgment copy accessed by CNN-News18, the judge also said that Saif Ali Khan was also present with Salman, but was not involved in the killing.
Apr 5, 2018 6:28 pm (IST)
CNN-News18 accessed the copy of judgment on Salman Khan and the reasons given for his conviction. The report read: Seeing the circumstances and rising cases of illegal killing of wild animals, this court deems fit to find Salman Khan guilty in the Blackbuck Poaching Case.
Feminist and author Taslima Nasreen spoke out against Salman Khan's sentence, tweeting: Killing endangered animals is a crime. But 5 years imprisonment for it is too much. Fine him Rs 5 crores and let him go.
Killing endangered animals is a crime. But 5 years imprisonment for it is too much. Fine him Rs 5 crores and let him go.
Controversies and Salman Khan go hand in hand. From his affairs with B-town's A-list actresses, controversial remarks, to his court cases, the Bollywood superstar has always managed to hit headlines.
Apr 5, 2018 5:46 pm (IST)
Is Salman Khan a victim of his fame or a beneficiary of it? Find out during The Big Date at 7pm.
Trade analyst Komal Nahta posted a statement purported to be by Salman Khan's legal team on social media platforms. The statement by lawyer Anand Desai included the following: "In the present case, the Hon'ble Court has acquitted all the 5 co-accused which would imply that Salman was out hunting alone in the middle of the night in a remote area outside Jodhpur."
They came together to shoot – a film. They allegedly then went together to shoot - the blackbuck. But in the end, while Salman gets ready to spend a night in Jodhpur jail, the rest of the ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ team are hopping on to the next flight out of the town.
#SalmanConvicted - They came together to shoot a film. They allegedly then went together to shoot the Black Buck. But in the end, while Salman gets ready to spend a night in Jodhpur jail https://t.co/hOeG6RwKHm
New Delhi: After a Jodhpur court sentenced Bollywood superstar to five years in jail in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case, a group of young men gathered outside the court raised celebratory slogans and distributed sweets.
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