Salman, Blackbuck And Chinkaras: The Case Of Bucking The Arms Act

The case under the Arms Act is one of the four cases against the actor. Trial in the black bucks case is on.

Actor Salman Khan, walks through a crowd outside the court, has been acquitted in 1998 Arms Act case by Jodhpur court, in Jodhpur on Wednesday. (Photo Courtesy: PTI)

In a relief for Salman Khan, a trial court on Wednesday acquitted the Bollywood star of all charges in the Arms Act case in the alleged poaching of two black bucks 18 years ago, holding that the prosecution permission given by the district administration was a "mindless move".

This verdict means total relief for Salman Khan in the nearly 18-year-long case. Salman & four other co-actors (Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam) faced charges of illegal arms & poaching. They were accused of killing two chinkaras and a blacbuck in Bhawad in Mathania near Jodhpur, while on shoot for the film “Hum Saath Saath Hai”.

Let us go back, step-by-step

1. Jan 18, 2017: Jodhpur Court acquits Salman Khan in Arms Act case
2. Oct 19, 2016: Rajasthan govt challenged Salman's acquittal in SC
3. Jul 25, 2016: Rajasthan HC acquits Salman in the 1998 chinkara poaching case
4. Dec 2012: Rajasthan HC revises charges, Salman charged under Wildlife Protection Act
5. Aug 31, 2007: Rajasthan HC suspends sentence, drops Arms Act charges on Salman's plea
6. Aug 24, 2007: Sessions Court upholds conviction, dismisses actor's plea
7. Apr 10, 2006: Salman convicted by trial court, given 5 years of jail. Spends six days in Jodhpur jail, Also fined Rs 5,000 under Act of Wildlife Protection Act
8. Oct 12, 1998: Salman Khan arrested, bailed out in 5 days
9. Oct 2, 1998: Bishnoi community lodges police complaint against Salman & four others
10. Sep 28, 1998: Salman accused of hunting second Chinkara at Ghoda farms
11. Sep 26, 1998: Salman Khan & 4 others accused of hunting two Chinkaras

Such a Long Journey

In a 102-page long order, the chief judicial magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit ruled that possession and use of fire arms with expired license by Salman could not be proved by the prosecution.

51-year-old Salman was present in the court along with his sister Alvira.

After his acquittal, Salman took to Twitter to thank his fans.

According to the prosecution, Salman was alleged to have kept and used the fire arms with expired license during poaching of two black bucks in village Kankani near Jodhpur in Rajasthan on October 1-2, 1998.

"The prosecution permission by the (then) district magistrate (Rajat Kumar Mishra) was given without applying mind and was non-speaking and non-regent," the court said, adding that Salman had to suffer for this unnecessarily.

The case under the Arms Act is one of the four cases against the actor. While the Rajasthan High Court has acquitted him in two cases of poaching of chinkara, trial in the third case of alleged poaching of two blackbucks is on.