Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case LIVE updates: Order expected around 2pm

 BusinessToday.In   New Delhi     Last Updated: April 7, 2018  | 12:18 IST
Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case LIVE updates: Order expected around 2pm

Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday after the Dabangg actor was convicted of killing two blackbucks in Rajasthan. Khan has been asked to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 in the 19-year-old case as well. However, Khan's co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam who were also accused were acquitted. Meanwhile, along with 87 other judges, Jodhpur Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi who was set to hear Khan's case today has been transferred and so is Dev Kumar Khatri, the judge who gave the 5-year sentence to the actor in the blackbuck poaching case. According to reports, this reshuffling of judges is usual practice but judges in Rajasthan are usually transferred between April 15 -30 every year. It is done as per recommendations of a committee set up by the Rajasthan High Court. There was a lot of speculation before the hearing that the actor might not get his bail today because of this reshuffle.

The Case

While filming for the Barjatya's multi-starrer, Salman Khan along with his co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam, along with a local, Dushyant Singh allegedly went on a hunting session and killed two of the endangered animals near Kankani village in Jodhpur. The Bishnoi community, who are known for their environmental activism was enraged by this incident and filed a case against the actors. Not only for poaching, Khan was also accused of keeping an arm with an expired arm licence. He was later acquitted of that account. Moreover, the actor was also accused of killing two chinkaras in Bhawad and one in Mathania. He was acquitted of those charges as well by the Rajasthan High Court.

Here are the LIVE updates of the bail plea hearing:

12:17pm: "Social work is not for show. Court will only see witness, prosecution and defence," says Lalit Bora, investigating officer of the case.

11:46am: "No mobile phones or selfies are allowed, no outside food is coming inside," said a jail official.

11:24am: Defence had argued for the bail, called the witness unreliable.

Also read: Can 'Brand Salman' survive the jail term?

11:10am: The hearing is over. The verdict will be pronounced post-lunch.

11:04am: Meanwhile, Prosecution has argued against the bail, citing witness accounts. 

10:51am: According to reports, the judge is currently hearing both sides before taking a decision.

10:46am: The actor, as of now, has spent two nights at the jail. The bail application was filed on Friday but the judge wanted a report from the lower case.

10:44am: Judge Ravindra Joshi, who is hearing the plea met CJM Dev Khatri who sentenced Salman Khan to jail before starting the case.

10:39am: District and Sessions court judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi arrives at Jodhpur Court.

10:38am: Eighty-seven judges in Rajasthan have been transferred under a routine shuffle, including Justice Joshi who was scheduled to hear the plea. But Justice Joshi did not recuse himself will be hearing the plea today.