Salman Khan, 4 others to appear before court in blackbuck case in Jodhpur

Jodhpur: Actor Salman Khan's 1998 Blackbuck case comes up in a Jodhpur court on Monday and the court is expected to read out the revised charges against the accused. Actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam will also have to appear in connection with the case. The infamous case saw the killing of two endangered blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur during the shooting of their film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' in 1998.

The court will read out the revised charges to all the actors, who are accused of killing two blackbucks on the intervening night of October 1-2. In September, 2012, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (District) had framed Salman under Section 51 of Wildlife Act, Section 27 of Arms Act and Section 148 (rioting and use of deadly weapons) of IPC.

The others including Saif, Tabu, Sonali, Neelam, Dushyant Singh and Dinesh Gawre were framed under Section 51 and Section 52 (attempts to contravene, or abet the contravention of, any of the provisions) of Wildlife Act and Sections 147 (punishment for rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of IPC. The accused had then filed a review petition in Sessions' court, which had discharged Salman from Section 27 of Arms Act and Section 148 of IPC, whereas the others were discharged of Sections 51 of Wildlife Act and Sections 147 and 149 of IPC.

The court will read out the revised charges to all the actors, who are accused of killing two blackbucks in 1998.

The state government had approached High Court against the verdict, which upheld Sessions' court order in Salman's case, but set aside the order of dropping charges against others under Section 149 of IPC. The state had then moved to Supreme Court against the verdict on Salman, but the apex court had upheld the High Court order maintaining dropping of charges against Salman under Section 148.

With Additional Inputs from PTI

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