Salman Khan Reaches Mumbai After Being Released from Jodhpur Jail

A Jodhpur court will pronounce its verdict in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case against actor Salman Khan and others on Thursday.

Final arguments of the case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved the judgment.

Salman Khan was accused of killing two blackbucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in Kankani village near Jodhpur on the intervening night of 1-2 October, 1998, during the shooting of “Hum Saath Saath Hain”.

“All of them were in a Gypsy car that night, with Salman Khan in the driving seat. He, on spotting a herd of blackbucks, shot and killed two of them,” Public Prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati had said.

“But on being spotted and chased, they fled from the spot, leaving the dead animals there," he said, adding that there was adequate evidence against them.

Refuting these allegations, Salman Khan's counsel Hastimal Saraswat said there were several loopholes in the prosecution's story and it had failed to prove its case beyond any doubt.

(With PTI and ANI inputs)

Ahead of the verdict by a Jodhpur court in the blackbuck poaching case, Bollywood actors Sonali Bendre, Saif Ali Khan and Tabu left for the Rajasthan city from Mumbai on Wednesday morning.

The three actors did not speak to the media waiting outside the Mumbai airport as they left.

Salman Khan, meanwhile, arrived in Mumbai in the early hours of Wednesday from Abu Dhabi where he has been shooting for Race 3. He reached Jodhpur later the same day.

Upon reaching Jodhpur on Wednesday, Saif Ali Khan was seen telling his driver to quickly leave the airport premises, in a bid to avoid the media outside the airport.

In an ANI video, Saif is seen telling his driver, “sheesha upar karo aur reverse kar lo warna padegi ek (pull up the window and reverse the car or you will get one)”, when he was being asked questions by reporters.

Trial court judge Dev Kumar Khatri, who will deliver the verdict, has arrived in the Jodhpur court.

Ahead of the blackbuck poaching case verdict, heavy police cover was deployed outside the Jodhpur court. The lawyer of the actors told ANI that if found guilty, the accused could get sentenced to maximum six years or a minimum one year in jail.

Actor Salman Khan has left for the Jodhpur court where the verdict in the 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case will be pronounced shortly.

Actor Salman Khan has reached the Jodhpur trial court. The verdict in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case to be out soon.

Salman’s co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam have also reached the court.

The Jodhpur court has convicted Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The other accused – Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam – have been acquitted by the court.

The quantum of punishment for Salman Khan will be announced shortly.

Salman has been held guilty of killing two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur in October 1998 during the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.

The argument on the quantum of punishment for actor Salman Khan is currently underway at the Jodhpur trial court.

A trial court in Jodhpur has sentenced Salman Khan to five years in jail in the 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case. A penalty of Rs 10,000 has also been levied on him, ANI reported.

Salman was taken to Jodhpur Central jail in police vehicle, PTI reported.

Media reports state that Salman’s lawyers have moved the sessions court for a bail plea, which will most likely be heard at 10.30 am on Friday.

Veteran actor and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan said urged that Salman Khan be given relief in the blackbuck poaching case, citing his humanitarian work.

Speaking to ANI, Bachchan said:

Actor Samir Soni, who is also Neelam’s husband, said that while they were happy given the acquittal of other accused in the case, they were also ‘disappointed’ with Salman Khan’s conviction.

Speaking to ANI, Soni said:

Salman Khan's lawyer, Anand Desai issued a statement on behalf of the actor:

“We respect the decision of the Hon'ble Court. While we are studying the judgement it just came as a surprise, as the entire investigation, and facts of this case were the same as those for which Salman has been acquitted by the Hon'ble High Court of Rajasthan in two cases, and even by the Hon'ble CJM in the Arms Act matter for the alleged offence on the very same night as is the subject matter of the present case. Also, in the present case the Hon'ble Court has acquitted all the 5 co-accused which would imply that Salman was out hunting alone in the middle of the night in a remote area outside Jodhpur. We have preferred an appeal to the Hon'ble Sessions Court and applied for an urgent hearing today. The Hon'ble Sessions Court will hear the appeal for suspension of the sentence / bail at 10.30 tomorrow.”

Pakistan Foreign Minister slammed Salman Khan’s conviction, alleging that the actor had been sentenced to five years jail term owing to his minority status.

In an interview to Pakistani publication Geo TV, Asif said “May be if he belonged to the religion of the ruling party of India he would not have been given such a harsh sentence and the court might have been lenient with him.”

The DIG of the Jodhpur Jail, Vikram Singh, said that Salman Khan had been given multiple level security outside his jail cell. The actor- who is Qaidi number 106 - reportedly made no demands, and will be handed the jail uniform on Friday.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said:

The presiding judge has arrived at the court. Hearing is expected to begin shortly.

Salman Khan's family members are also present.

Salman Khan’s counsel Mahesh Bora alleged that he received calls and messages threatening him to not appear for the bail hearing, reported ANI.

A Jodhpur Court, which was hearing Salman Khan’s bail plea in the blackbuck case, reserved its order till Saturday, 7 April.

District and Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi, who was supposed to pronounce order on Salman Khan's application for bail and suspension of sentence in 1998 black buck poaching case, has been transferred as part of a reshuffle.

In a late night development, Joshi has been transferred to Sirohi, as per an order of the Rajasthan High Court. Chandra Kumar Songara will be replacing him in Jodhpur's sessions court.

Joshi is among 134 judges transferred by the Registrar General of the High Court.

“The chances are feeble of the departing judge proceeding further in the matter,” one of the prosecution counsels Mahipal Bishnoi said.

"If he refuses to decide the application, the defence could seek refuge of the link court which is the ADJ court,” Bishnoi said.

District and Sessions Court Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi arrived at the Jodhpur court on Saturday morning. He is now hearing Salman Khan's bail plea in the blackbuck poaching case.

District and Sessions Court Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi, who heard Salman Khan’s bail plea on Saturday morning in the blackbuck poaching case, will pronounce the order after lunch. The actor’s lawyer informed the media that the arguments had been concluded.

Salman Khan is set to be released from the Jodhpur Central Jail today after District and Sessions Court Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi granted him bail against Rs 50,000 surety in the blackbuck poaching case.

Salman Khan will have to produce two bonds worth Rs 25,000 each, Mahipal Bishnoi, the lawyer representing the Bishnoi community, told the media after the actor was granted bail.

Immediately after a Jodhpur court granted Salman Khan bail in the blackbuck poaching case, many of his fans celebrated outside his Mumbai residence.

Saba and Farah, the conjoined twins hailing from Patna who call themselves the rakhi sisters of Salman Khan, also celebrated after the court’s verdict.

Salman Khan was released from the Jodhpur Central Jail just hours after a court granted him bail in the blackbuck poaching case. He is on his way to the Jodhpur airport and would be reaching Mumbai at night.

Earlier, the DCP (East) of Jodhpur told the media:

Salman Khan has reached the Jodhpur airport. According to CNN-News18, a chartered plane would be flying the Bollywood actor to Mumbai.

Salman Khan reached Mumbai in a chartered plane on Saturday after being granted bail by a Jodhpur court in the blackbuck poaching case.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan reached Mumbai after he was released from the Jodhpur Central jail on Saturday, 7 April. Earlier in the day, the District and Sessions Court (Jodhpur Rural) Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi granted him bail in the blackbuck poaching case.

On 5 April, Khan was sentenced to a five-year jail term by a Jodhpur trial court.