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SC to hear plea against Salman’s acquittal in hunting cases, issues notice
The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a plea challenging actor Salman Khan’s acquittal in two deer poaching cases and issued a notice to the Bollywood star notorious for run-ins with the law, ANI reported.
The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a plea challenging actor Salman Khan’s acquittal in two deer poaching cases and issued a notice to the Bollywood star notorious for run-ins with the law, ANI reported.
The Rajasthan government had approached the top court last month against a high court verdict that cleared Khan of charges of killing Chinkaras or Indian gazelles 18 years ago.
The SC decision comes after an uproar over Khan’s acquittal in July when the Rajasthan high court said the prosecution failed to prove charges and the evidence was too thin for convicting the superstar.
Read: Rajasthan high court acquits Salman Khan in Chinkara poaching cases
The high court overturned two trial court verdicts that handed the actor one and five years’ imprisonment. Salman has spent 13 days behind bars.
A year ago, the Bombay high court cleared the actor of all charges in a controversial 2002 hit-and-run case, triggering outrage and questions about whether the actor had used his star power to subvert the judicial system.
Chinkaras are a protected species and hunting them is banned. The actor was accused of hunting two chinkaras on September 26, 1998 in Bhawad village area of Jodhpur and another one two days later at Ghora Farm. Seven other accused in the Bhawad case were let off.
The actor was shooting for the film Hum Saath Saath Hain at that time. Two cases against Salman – black-buck hunting and possessing illegal arms – are still being tried at trial courts in the state.
