Chinkara case: Salman's fate to be decided today

Jodhpur, Aug 24: The Jodhpur district and sessions court will give its verdict on Bollywood actor Salman Khan's appeal against a five-year jail term handed to him by a lower court last year for poaching a Chinkara during the shooting of a film.Earlier, District and Sessions Judge K R Singvi had adjourned the proceedings after hearing the arguments from Salman's counsel H M Saraswat and the public prosecutor.

Salman is out on bail.

On April 10, 2006, Chief Judicial Magistrate had convicted Salman and sentenced him to five years imprisonment. The court also imposed Rs 25,000 as fine.

Salman had filed the appeal against the verdict.

During the shooting of the movie "Hum Saath Saath Hain" in 1998, Salman and others poached two Chinkaras at Ujiyala Bhakhar near Ghoda Farm.

Six others accused in the case, Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Satish Shah, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari, have been acquitted.

The actor has also been sentenced to a year's imprisonment in another poaching case of Bhawad and has appealed against it as well.

The hearing in that case has not begun as the case is pending with the Rajasthan High Court where the State Government has filed an appeal for enhancement of the sentence.

The actor has been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act.

ANI

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