Supreme Court Issues Notice To Salman On Acquittal In Chinkara Poaching Case

Bollywood actor Salman Khan was today issued a notice by the Supreme Court on an appeal by the Rajasthan Govt. challenging his acquittal in 2 poaching cases.

In July, the Rajasthan High Court had found Salman Khan not guilty of killing an endangered species of Chinkara in 1998 during the shoot of Hum Saath Saath Hai.

Unhappy with the high court decision, the Rajasthan Govternment had challenged Salman's acquitted. The Govt. wants him to be imprisoned to serve the rest of his sentence - after being convicted in 2007 for hunting down and killing the chinkaras, he was awarded a one-year prison term and a five-year prison term respectively. He then spent a week in jail in Jodhpur before being granted bail.

While finding him not guilty, the High Court had said there was no evidence to prove that the animals who were found dead were shot by Mr Khan's licensed gun. A key witness, the driver of the jeep that was used by Salman Khan and his co-stars for their alleged hunt was missing, the prosecution admitted, which considerably weakened the case against the actor. But just days later, when a news channel tracked down the driver, Harish Dulani, he admitted that he saw Mr Khan shoot the chinkara, but had dodged testifying in court because he had been threatened.

In every case that involved Salman Khan, witnesses have been at the receiving end. The key witness in the American Express Bakery Case in Mumbai also died due to illness and harassment. He never changed his statement till death. He said Salman Khan was drunk and driving the car rashly when his car ran over people sleeping on the street.