Update On Salman Khan Poaching Case

The verdict in the last poaching case against Bollywood actor Salman Khan is set to be delivered on April 5.

Khan, along with four other actors (Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam), had allegedly shot down two blackbucks on the night of October 2, 1998,Kankani village in Jodhpur while shooting for the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.The court of chief judicial magistrate (Jodhpur rural) reserved the judgment for Wednesday after completion of final arguments in the case.

Khan’s counsel H M Saraswat said the final arguments in the case had begun on September 13 last year, with the prosecution citing the statements of eyewitnesses in the case. “After the completion of the prosecution’s arguments on October 23, we began our arguments on October 28 last year and completed them on February 4. After this, the counsels for the coaccused completed their arguments on March 24,” he said.

On Wednesday, following some important citations on legal points by the prosecution, Khatri reserved the order to be pronounced on April 5 in the presence of Khan and other accused.

While wrapping up the arguments, Khan’s counsel prayed to the court to consider him a common man while pronouncing the order and not a celebrity, as he has always suffered on account of his celebrity status. “Because of his celebrity status, he was framed by the forest department without any incriminating evidence against him. Everyone, right from the forest department to the district administration, exhibited an undue eagerness and haste in framing him,” Saraswat claimed.