Salman Khan's blackbuck poaching case: Verdict to be delivered today

A Jodhpur Court will deliver its verdict in the blackbuck poaching case, involving Bollywood actor Salman Khan, on Thursday (April 5). Khan and several other actors were accused of poaching blackbucks on the midnight of October 1-2, 1998 during the filming of Hindi movie Hum Saath Saath Hain.

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.

Other actors accused in the case are - Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam. Salman Khan is facing charges under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the other actors have been charged under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code.

Last year, Khan was acquitted by the Jodhpur court in an Arms Act case linked to the killing of a blackbuck 19 years ago.

Salman had appealed before the Jodhpur bench of the high court challenging a lower court's verdict in 2006 that handed him a one and five-year term in the two separate cases of poaching.

Khan was accused of carrying and using illegal arms with an expired licence. A case under the Arms Act was registered against him. The Rajasthan High Court in July 2016, had acquitted Salman in another case related to chinkara poaching.

In two other cases, Salman Khan allegedly went on shooting expeditions killing two chinkaras in Bhawad area and another one in Ghoda Farms. He was, however, acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court in July, 2016, in the Chinkara poaching case.