Verdict in Salman Khan's illegal arms case deferred by Jodhpur court to March 3

A local court today deferred the judgement in the Arms Act case against Bollywood actor Salman Khan related to the 1998 black buck poaching incident, saying four pending applications from the prosecution have come to light on which it will decide on March 3

Jodhpur: A local court today deferred the judgement in the Arms Act case against Bollywood actor Salman Khan related to the 1998 black buck poaching incident, saying four pending applications from the prosecution have come to light on which it will decide on March 3.

Salman Khan

The pending applications came to the notice of the court after the arguments in the case completed on February 10, prosecution counsel N K Sankhla told reporters. After the hearing completed, the court had reserved the judgement in the 16-year-old case for today.

As the court proceedings began today, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jodhpur district, Anupama Bijlani took up the four pending applications related to cross examination of nine witnesses and for taking additional facts and documents on record which were moved earlier by the prosecution.

After hearing arguments, the court fixed March three for a decision on the four pleas. 49-year-old Khan did not appear in court today. His counsel Hastimal Saraswat move pleas for exemption from appearance. The court granted the permission as the lawyer said he was unwell and unable to stand in court. Khan was allegedly involved in poaching of two black bucks near Jodhpur in the intervening night of 1-2 October, 1998.

The case under the Arms Act was registered with Luni Police station in Jodhpur as the forest department of Rajasthan alleged that the arms used by Khan during the poaching incident had expired licences and so he used them illegally.

Salman was in Jodhpur for the shooting of Hindi movie 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' when the incident occurred. The two blackbucks, a protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, were killed on the outskirts of Kankani village near Jodhpur. Salman also has three poaching cases against him. He has twice spent time in the Jodhpur jail - in April 2006 and again in August 2007. His appeal is pending in the Rajasthan High Court.

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