A court in western India has acquitted Bollywood star Salman Khan of shooting and killing three endangered animals almost two decades ago.
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There were two possibilities before the verdict was announced, reports The Times of India according to TimesNow. The actor got acquitted from the double poaching case registered against him by the Rajasthan State Government in the Rajasthan High Court.
Khan, who has been at the centre of controversies in the recent past, had previously challenged the verdict of a lower court and appealed to the Rajasthan high court in the protected animals’ killing case. At that time, they were shooting for the film “Hum Sath Sath Hain”. A court in western India has on Monday, July 25, 2016 acquitted Khan of shooting and killing three endangered animals almost two decades ago.
Khan’s sister, Ms Alvira Khan Agnihotri, was present in court when Justice Nirmaljit Kaur cleared him in both cases, dismissing three petitions filed by the state government seeking an increase in his sentence.
In 2007, Salman was sentenced to five years in jail and he spent six days in Jodhpur Central Jail before his sentence was suspended by the High Court later.
Salman was earlier lodged in the Jodhpur jail over the cases. “We can go to the SC against this judgment”, said community leader Mahipal Bishnoi.
However, on July 5, the Supreme Court admitted a plea challenging Khan’s acquittal in the hit-and-run case. Today is a big day for us. “Don’t tell me it was Bhai’s driver again!”, tweeted one user, referring to Khan’s 2002 case in which his vehicle drove over a pavement dweller, who died. A third case involving Khan’s alleged poaching of an endangered blackbuck is yet to be decided on in Rajasthan. “Salman Khan. Thank you to all bhais and the family’s well-wishers for your prayers, support, love and best wishes”, Arpita tweeted.
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The Jodhpur court just pronounced the verdict.
