Blackbuck Poaching: Salman Khan Acquitted in Fake Affidavit Case

The affidavit said Salman had lost the licence documents of his weapons though the licence was sent for renewal.

File image of Salman Khan.

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

A Jodhpur court acquitted actor Salman Khan on Monday, 17 June in a case of alleged submission of a fake affidavit in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

In his affidavit the actor had claimed that he had lost the licence documents of his weapons though the license had been sent for renewal, ANI reported.

“Salman Khan’s intention was not to submit a false affidavit or provide frivolous information in his licence. Following the hearing, the court dismissed the charges against my client,” Khan’s lawyer Hastimal Saraswat told media.

He was granted bail after being convicted and sentenced to five years of imprisonment on 5 April 2018 for killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur during the shoot of Hum Saath Saath Hain. Khan had spent two nights at the Jodhpur Central jail.

Due to lack of evidence, Salman's co-stars in the movie – Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam, Tabu and Dushyant Singh – were acquitted.

In May, the Jodhpur bench of Rajasthan High Court had issued fresh notices to the actors following an appeal by the Rajasthan government against their acquittal. Singh is accused of accompanying the actors when the poaching took place.

The Jodhpur High Court on 11 March issued notices to the five respondents on the state government's appeal challenging their acquittal in the case.

(With inputs from ANI)