Salman remanded till Oct 16

JODHPUR, Oct 13 (PTI) — Film star Salman Khan, arrested on a charge of killing protected wild animals near Jodhpur, was today remanded in the custody of the Forest Department till October 16 by the Judicial Magistrate, according to District Collector Mukesh Sharma.

The Magistrate accepted the plea of public prosecutor Ram Vishnoi that the actor be remanded in the custody of the Forest Department so as to grant it sufficient time to conduct a thorough inquiry and recover the arms allegedly used by the actor.

However, Salman’s bail application moved by his counsel Jagdip Dhankar (Congress MLA) was not taken up for hearing today.

Salman was produced in the Magistrate's court around 2.30 p.m. by the investigating officer, L. Bora, Assistant Conservator of Forests, and the hearing lasted till 6 p.m.

Salman’s counsel opposed the public prosecutor’s plea for remanding him in the custody of the Forest Department. However, the Magistrate ordered that he be remanded till October 16.

Salman was brought to the court in a covered vehicle and escorted by senior police officials. There was elaborate police bandobast outside the court as a large number of the actor’s fans had gathered there to know the outcome of the proceedings. A group of people staged a demonstration outside the court premises demanding the actor’s release.

There was also a demonstration by activists belonging to the Organisation for Cruelty Towards Animals and the local Wildlife Conservation Society demanding stern action against the film stars involved in the alleged killing of black bucks.