Black bucks case: Actor Salman Khan appears in Jodhpur court

JODHPUR: Actor Salman Khan today appeared in a court here today during the hearing in the case under Arms Act against him in connection with poaching of two endangered black bucks in 1998.

Khan, accompanied by his sister Alvira, arrived here this morning and headed straight to the court.

He remained in the court during the entire hearing, which saw the defence grilling one of the witnesses. Khan left about an hour later for the airport to board his chartered plane before the hearing in another case related to the poaching of two black bucks in October 1998 began.

"He (Khan) was not summoned by the court on Friday, but since he was in the city for some other work, he made it a point to appear in court as a gesture of responsibility and respect for the court," said the actor's counsel Hasti Mal Saraswat.

The hearing in both the cases of poaching of two black bucks in Kankani area near Jodhpur and Arms Act is progressing simultaneously in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Anupama Bijlani.

"Hearing was scheduled in both the cases today but Khan appeared as a routine accused, remained there until the hearing in the Arms Act case was over and left," said public prosecutor N K Sankhla.

Khan has already been given exemption from appearance in the poaching case, said Saraswat.

The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition filed by the state government on November 5 challenging the Rajasthan High Court's order to suspend his 5-year conviction in another case of poaching, had taken objection on suspension of his sentence and had kept its order reserved.

Khan was convicted and sentenced to one-year and five-year prison terms in separate cases of poaching of two chinkaras at Bhawad and one black buck at Ghoda Farm on the intervening night of September 26-27, 1998 and September 28-29, 1998 respectively.