Salman summoned to court, hearings tomorrow

Jodhpur, Apr 12 (UNI) Jodhpur District and Sessions court has summoned actor Salman Khan to appear in the court tomorrow where his appeal against the lower court verdict in the Chinkara poaching case would be heard.

District and Sessions Magistrate Goverdhan Singh Surana has fixed April 13 for hearing Salman Khan's appeal filed against the Chief Judicial Magistrate's (CJM) April 10 verdict of five year sentence and Rs 25,000 penalty for him. He also presented an appeal against the February 17, 2006 verdict which awarded him one year imprisonment and Rs 5000 as penalty.

The District and Sessions court admitted his appeal today but Magistrate Surana said hearings on both appeals would be heard tomorrow.

Jodhpur Judicial Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit was to hear Salman's case where he has been booked under the Indian Arms Act in Luni area but since witness Mangi Lal did not appear, the case was not heard. The hearing has been fixed for May.

Legal experts say under the Wildlife Protection Act, for a person who indulges in such crimes twice, a maximum of six year term can be fixed for the accused.

But since two cases of Salman are going on simultaneously, the verdicts of which have been given by lower courts, a six-year term is not possible for the actor.

UNI XC RRT LS GC1614