Yashpal Goyal in Jaipur

JAIPUR (TIP): In the infamous blackbuck poaching case of 1998, the District and Sessions Court Jodhpur Metropolitan, on February 11, dismissed the two petitions of the Rajasthan government that alleged that Salman Khan, a Bollywood star, had submitted a false affidavit in connection with the arms act case and blackbuck poaching case. “The Jodhpur District and Session Court Judge Raghavendra Kachawal dismissed both the pleas of the state government after pronouncing the 18-page judgement, Salman’s lawyer Hastimal Saraswat told TIP on telephone from Jodhpur. “Salman appeared in the said case through a video conference (virtual appearance) before the judge as per the court directive when the judgement was announced in the court “, Saraswat who was present with the Public Prosecutor Lada Ram Vishnoi, said.

On June 19, 2019, Jodhpur’s Lower Court CJM-Rural had rejected the Rajasthan government’s two pleas alleging that Salman made a false affidavit in connection with the arm’s license in the blackbuck poaching case under section 340 of Cr. PC.The government appealed in the District and Sessions Court where the judgement was pronounced on February 11.

Background

In December 2006, a plea was made in the local court here asking it to hear an application that alleged that Salman had provided misleading information about his arms license. “Salman submitted an affidavit in the trial court during the hearing of the case against him under the Arms Act that his arm license was missing. But during the same period, it was produced in the commissioner’s office in Mumbai for renewal”, the prosecution had told the court.

On January 18, 2017, CJM had acquitted Salman in the arms case under sections 3/25 and 3/27 of the arms act saying he (Salman) used the firearms with expired license in the poaching of black buck at Kankani near Jodhpur on October 1-2, 1998. Whereas the petition challenging Salman’s affidavit on missing arm license filed by the prosecution in 2006 was not decided with the arm act verdict.

A case was registered against Khan under Arms act in October 1998 for allegedly possessing arms without a valid license during the alleged poaching of black bucks at Kankani village near Jodhpur. The case was filed by the forest department.

On April 2018, after 19 years of legal battle, a CJM courtsentenced the Bollywood star Salman Khan to five years in jail and Rs.10,000 fine in the October 1998 blackbuck poaching case, while acquitted five co-accused including four stars Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Tabu and Sonali Bendre under section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Salman then appealed the judgment in the higher court after getting bail in 2018.