M A I N   N E W S

Salman, Saif chargesheeted

JODHPUR, June 17 (UNI, PTI) — Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre were today chargesheeted in the court of the Additional Judicial Magistrate here for killing two black bucks in October, 1998.

The killing of the black bucks took place in the Guda Vishnoiyon region of Bishnoi territory on October 1, just three days after Salman Khan and some others allegedly killed two chinkaras on September 28, for which they have already been chargesheeted. Both the cases were pursued by Mr Mahendra Singh Kachhawa, advocate for the Wildlife Protection Society of India. The animals are listed as endangered and are covered by the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The inhabitants of the area worship the animals as descendants of Lord Krishna. As a result, the hunting party was chased but escaped. The dead black bucks were produced by the Bishnois before the Forest Officer next morning and a case was registered. The others accused along with the stars are Dinesh Gavre and Dushyant Singh.

Salman, who had been arrested on October 12 that year and released on bail five days later on October 17, had along with others been in Rajasthan for the shooting of the film “Hum Saath Saath Hain” directed by Sooraj Barjatya. While he had got bail on October 15 in the black bucks case, he had been refused anticipatory bail in the Chinkara case till October 17 when he was finally released.

The others had been granted bail in October 12 itself. A case was also filed against Salman under the Arms Act at Luni police station in this district.

At a meeting on October 11 that year in Jaipur, the then Rajasthan Chief Minister, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, had constituted a high-level team to supervise and expedite investigation into the alleged poaching and assured strict action against the guilty.

The wild life wing of the department filed the complaint in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ram Kamal Gaur in the presence of Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan and another accused Dushyant Singh.

In its complaint, filed under provisions of the Wild Life Protection Act, the Forest Department submitted 116 documents and cited 51 witnesses.