Blackbuck poaching case: Everything you need to know

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been accused of killing two blackbucks, n endangered species protected under Wildlife Protection Act, 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.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate Rural Court in Jodhpur, Rajasthan will be announcing the verdict in the blackbuck case in Kankani tomorrow, April 5, 2018.

Other actor charged in the case included Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre and Tabu. The killings angered the Bishnoi community, who protect wildlife with a zeal, and they filed a complaint against the actors and a local involved in the shooting. He was also charged for keeping an arm with an expired license and was charged under the Arms Act. Salman Khan was later acquitted in the arms case by a trial court.

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

Salman Khan is facing charges under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the other actors have been charged under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code.

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

"Prosecution has failed to prove the allegations. It engaged in tampering and fabricating evidence and documents as well as roping in fake witnesses to prove its case," he said.

"It even failed to prove that the blackbucks were killed by gunshots. Hence, such investigation cannot be trusted," Saraswat said.

The case also involved two more accused, Dushyant Singh, who was allegedly accompanying the actors when the poaching took place, and Dinesh Gawre said to be Salman Khan's assistant.

"Gawre never appeared in court and was made to disappear by the main accused. Had he been around, there could have been more information available in the case," Bhati claimed.

There were two more cases against Salman Khan for allegedly killing two chinkaras (Indian gazelle) in Bhawad area and another in Mathania both in Rajasthan. But, the actor was later acquitted by Rajasthan High Court in 2016 for the poaching of the chinkaras. The prosecutors have challenged his acquittal in a higher court which is currently pending in the SC.

Chinkara, or Indian Gazelle, is an endangered animal accorded the highest protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife protection Act 1972. In 2013, the HC had suspended the trial court verdict to allow Salman to travel out of the country for a film shoot. Salman was accused of hunting two Chinkaras at Bhawad in Mathania near Jodhpur on September 26, 1998, and another Chinkara at Ghoda farms two days later on September 28th, while he was in Jodhpur filming for Hum Saath Saath Hain.