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1998 blackbuck poaching case

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The 1998 Blackbuck poaching case is a high-profile legal matter involving Bollywood actor Salman Khan, accused of hunting two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur, Rajasthan, in September 1998. Bishnoi community filed a complaint against Salman Khan and his co-actors, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam, and Tabu, accused of hunting two blackbucks during the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Salman Khan, main accused in 1998 blackbuck poaching case

Background

The blackbuck, also known as the Indian antelope or Chinkara, is an endangered species protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The Bishnoi community, a religious sect found in parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, reveres the blackbuck and has a long-standing tradition of protecting wildlife.

Incident

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In September 1998, while filming the movie "Hum Saath Saath Hain" in Rajasthan, Salman Khan and his co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam, and Tabu were accused of hunting two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur. Members of the Bishnoi community filed a complaint against these actors, leading to their arrest. Salman Khan was charged under Section 51 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, while the other actors faced charges of unlawful assembly under the Indian Penal Code.

Legal proceedings

In September 1998, during the filming of the Bollywood movie Hum Saath Saath Hain in Rajasthan, actors Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam, and Tabu were accused of poaching two blackbucks in Kankani village, near Jodhpur. The incident occurred while the actors were on location for the film. Following the alleged hunting of the protected species, members of the Bishnoi community, who regard the blackbuck as sacred, filed a complaint on 2 October 1998.

On 12 October 1998, Salman Khan was arrested in connection with the alleged hunting of two blackbucks, an endangered species. Following his arrest, Khan was granted bail.

In April 2006, a trial court found Salman Khan guilty under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for the illegal hunting of two blackbucks, an endangered species, in Rajasthan. The court sentenced Khan to five years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹25,000. However, Salman Khan appealed the verdict, and in subsequent years, the case underwent various legal challenges and developments.

In August 2007, Salman Khan appealed to the Jodhpur court against his conviction in the blackbuck poaching case. However, the court rejected the appeal and upheld the five-year imprisonment sentence. Shortly thereafter, the Rajasthan High Court intervened and suspended the five-year sentence, allowing Khan to remain out of prison pending further legal proceedings. However, as part of the conditions for his release, the court ordered that Khan obtain formal permission from the court before undertaking any foreign travel.

In 2012, a bench of the Rajasthan High Court framed charges against all the accused in the blackbuck poaching case, including Salman Khan. Khan was charged under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for the illegal hunting of the endangered species. However, in November 2013, Justice Nirmal Jeet Kaur of the Rajasthan High Court stayed the five-year imprisonment sentence that had been imposed on Khan by the lower court in 2006. This stay was granted to allow Salman Khan to apply for a UK visa for a film shoot.

In January 2015, the Supreme Court of India revoked the stay order issued by the Rajasthan High Court on Salman Khan's five-year imprisonment sentence, which had been imposed by a lower court in 2006. The Supreme Court ruled that a person's conviction should not be stayed simply because they were seeking an international visa.

On 25 July 2016, the Rajasthan High Court acquitted actor Salman Khan in the 1998 black buck poaching case, citing insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased blackbucks were killed by a firearm owned or used by Khan. Following this decision, the Rajasthan government appealed the acquittal in the Supreme Court in October 2016. Subsequently, the Supreme Court agreed to fast-track the trial, with proceedings set to move forward in November 2016.

On 5 April 2018, a Jodhpur court sentenced Salman Khan to five years in prison and imposed a penalty of ₹10,000 in connection with the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. However, the other four accused, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu, and Neelam Kothari, were acquitted. Following the verdict, Salman Khan was granted bail on 7 April 2018 by the Jodhpur Sessions Court, under the bench of Justice Joshi.

In March 2022, the Rajasthan High Court granted permission to transfer two petitions related to the blackbuck poaching case from the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court to the High Court. This transfer was made to ensure that all matters concerning Salman Khan in the case would be heard and adjudicated at the Rajasthan High Court.

References

  1. "Bollywood's Salman Khan granted bail in poaching case". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 2024-06-17. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  2. Schultz, Kai (2018-04-05). "Salman Khan, Bollywood Superstar, Is Convicted of Killing Antelopes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  3. Rahman, Maseeh (2013-03-24). "Bollywood actors charged in poaching case". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  4. ^ Singh, Nandini. "Why blackbucks are more than just animals to the Bishnoi community". Business Standard. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Salman Khan's old video talking about the blackbuck case resurfaces: 'I wasn't the one..'". Hindustan Times. Back in 1998, Salman Khan along with his co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu and Sonali Bendre was accused of hunting down blackbucks in a village of Rajasthan while shooting for their film Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999).
  6. ^ "1998-2022 Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case: A recap of events spanning over two decades". The Economic Times. 2022-03-22. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  7. "Salman gets 5 yrs for poaching and sent to Jodhpur jail". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  8. "High Court stays Salman's conviction, paves way for UK visa". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  9. "High Court stays Salman Khan's conviction,paves way for UK visa". The Indian Express. 2013-11-13. Archived from the original on 2015-05-03. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  10. "Salman Khan Can't Travel to Britain Because of This Supreme Court Order". www.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  11. "Actor Salman Khan, Seeking UK Visa, Rebuked by Supreme Court". www.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  12. Bothra, Dinesh. "Rajasthan high court acquits Salman Khan in Chinkara poaching cases". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  13. "Bollywood's Salman Khan freed in poaching case". BBC News. 2016-07-25. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  14. "Salman Khan gets 5 years in jail: The personal, professional life of superstar who was a bad boy". Hindustan Times. 2018-04-05. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  15. "Salman Khan gets 5-year jail term". The Hindu. 2018-04-05. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  16. "Bollywood star sentenced to five years in prison for poaching antelope". The Washington Post. 5 April 2018. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  17. "Salman Khan walks out of jail, bail in blackbuck case caps 2 days of drama in Jodhpur". India Today. 2018-04-07. Archived from the original on 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  18. "Salman Khan, Bollywood superstar, bailed in poaching case". BBC News. 2018-04-07. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  19. "Salman Khan's 1998 blackbuck poaching case gets transferred to Rajasthan High Court". The Times of India. 2022-03-21. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
  20. "Salman Khan's 1998 Blackbuck Poaching Case Transferred To Rajasthan High Court". ABP News. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2025-01-15.
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