“Salman Khan could face up to 6 years in jail”, Blackbuck poaching verdict today.

Jodhpur,

Salman Khan, who has been convicted and sentenced to a 5-year jail term in the blackbuck poaching case, is taken out of the court. He will be taken for a medical examination now and then to Jodhpur Central Jail.

On Thursday actor Salman Khan held guilty in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The other four actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam, have been acquitted in the case. The quantum of punishment for Salman has not been announced yet. Salman was charged with killing two blackbucks on October 2, 1998, in Jodhpur during the shooting of the movie “Hum Saath Saath Hain”.

All the five actors accused in the blackbuck poaching case – Salman, Saif, Tabu, Neelam, Sonali Bendre – have reached court. The process of the hearing in court has begun. 

Jodhpur: Salman Khan arrives at court, verdict in #BlackBuckPoachingCase to be pronounced shortly. pic.twitter.com/FpJPSRRY2r

— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2018

Jodhpur: Accused Sonali Bendre & Tabu arrive in court, verdict in #BlackBuckPoachingCase to be pronounced shortly. pic.twitter.com/jEXXkPyX2E

— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2018

Final arguments of the case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which chief judicial magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved the judgment for Thursday.

The allegations

During the shooting of film Hum Saath Saath Hain, Salman Khan is accused of killing two blackbucks, hunting of which is prohibited under the Wildlife Protection Act, at Kankani village in Jodhpur.

Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari and a local resident, Dushyant Singh, are also accused in the case.

The charges have been filed under section 9/51 of the Wildlife Protection Act. If convicted, Salman faces a maximum prison sentence of six years and minimum of one year.

All the accused have been charged with abetting poaching (section 9/51 read with 52 of the Wildlife Protection Act) and illegal assembly (section 149 of the Indian Penal Code). Punishment for this is the same as that for poaching – a minimum jail term of one year up to a maximum of six years.

What happened over the years?

October ’98: On October 2, poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani village. the forest department filed a complaint against Salman, Saif, Tabu, Neelam, Sonali, Dushyant and Dinesh Ganware.

November ’00: Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jodhpur takes cognizance.

February ’06: Charges are framed against the accused.

March ’13: Revised charges are framed against all accused by a trial court. Repeated revision petitions, first by the defence in the session court and then by the prosecution in the high court, held up the trial for seven years.

May ’13: Trial to begin in the Chief Judicial Magistrate court.

Prosecution Witnesses “At least 28 witnesses from the prosecution side are produced for examination in the matter. Statement of accused Salman and others is recorded.”

January ’17: Deposition is completed in the trial court.

Chief Judicial Magistrate court orders for the recording of the statements of the all the accused.

September ’17: Final arguments begin in the trial court.

March ’18: Judgement reserved for April 5, Arguments completed.

April ’18: Salman Khan Found Guilty While Others acquitted from the two-decade-long case