04 February 2013
Mumbai/Jodhpur: Hearing on film actors Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam involved in connection with the blackbucks poaching case of 1998 was postponed till March 23 by a Jodhpur court today. The judge Chandrakala Jain is reportedly on leave.
The court was supposed to read out the revised charges to all the actors, who are accused of killing two blackbucks on the intervening night of October 1 and 2 in Kankani village during shooting of the film ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’.
In September last year, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (District) had framed Salman Khan under Section 51 of Wildlife Act, Section 27 of Arms Act and Section 148 (rioting and use of deadly weapons) of IPC. The others including Saif, Tabu, Bendre, Neelam, Dushyant Singh and Dinesh Gawre were framed under Section 51 and Section 52 (attempts to contravene, or abet the contravention of, any of the provisions) of Wildlife Act and Sections 147 (punishment for rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of IPC.
The accused had then filed a review petition in Sessions’ court, which had discharged Salman from Section 27 of Arms Act and Section 148 of IPC, whereas the others were discharged of Sections 51 of Wildlife Act and Sections 147 and 149 of IPC.
The state government had approached High Court against the verdict, which upheld Sessions’ court order in Salman’s case, but set aside the order of dropping charges against others under Section 149 of IPC. The state had then moved to Supreme Court against the verdict on Salman, but the apex court had upheld the HC order maintaining dropping of charges against Salman under Section 148.
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