Jodhpur: The court of chief judicial magistrate in Jodhpur will announce its decision in the blackbuck case against Bollywood actor Salman Khan on April 5.
The actor is accused of poaching two blackbucks at Kankani village in Jodhpur during the shooting of film Hum Saath Saath Hain on the intervening night of October 1-2, 1998.
Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam are other actors, besides a local resident, Dushyant Singh, who are accused in the case.
The actors are required to be present in the court at the time of judgment.
Arguments from both sides concluded on Wednesday. The Jodhpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Wednesday under Jodhpur District Presiding Officer Dev Kumar Khatri issued the date for the decision in the 20-year-old case.
Khan’s counsel Hastimal Saraswat submitted a written argument seeking the Bollywood actor’s acquittal from the charges against him. Saraswat said the charges brought against Khan have not been proven during the trial proceedings, pointing out contradictions among statements of the prosecution witnesses.
The prosecution also concluded its arguments, pleading maximum punishment for the accused .
Three cases of poaching and one under the Arms Act were registered against Khan in Jodhpur in 1998.
The actor has been acquitted in the two chinkara poaching cases and the Arms Act case by the trial courts. The prosecution has appealed against the acquittals in higher courts. The appeals against the chinkara case are pending with the Supreme Court.
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