Salman Khan pleads innocence in antelope case

The actor is accused of using weapons with an expired licence to target black bucks in a protected forest area in 1998

11 Mar, 2016

JODHPUR: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Thursday pleaded not guilty in a long-standing case that alleges he used unlicensed arms to shoot antelopes in western India, saying he was framed.

The actor is accused of using weapons with an expired licence to target black bucks in a protected forest area, where hunting the animals is illegal, in 1998.

Khan, wearing a floral shirt and sunglasses, said in court that forest officials had pressured him to sign a statement saying he had procured the arms from a contact in Mumbai.

“I am innocent and have been framed by the forest officials,” Khan said in his plea to the judicial magistrate in a Jodhpur district court.

The Bollywood actor was previously found guilty of poaching endangered gazelles in a separate case in 2006 and is appealing a year-long jail sentence. Additional Public Prosecutor Dinesh Tiwari said the court had given Khan, 50, a chance to produce witnesses or evidence in support of his defence in the arms case on April 4. “If he does so, they will be examined in the court otherwise the case will be listed for final arguments,” said Tiwari.

The case was registered nearly 18 years ago when Khan was shooting for the Bollywood mega-hit Hum Saath Saath Hain (We Are Together) at a village near Jodhpur.

Other cast members from the film, including well-known actors Saif Ali Khan and Sonali Bendre, are co-accused in the case.

Originally published in Dawn, March 11th, 2016

Comments

sid Mar 11, 2016 10:59am

He will escape this too. How sad. Rich and powerful getting better of law. Is law only for us poor mortals?

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SHRIEK Mar 11, 2016 11:13am

Rich people can get away with anything. Sad fact of the entire human world.

Johore Mar 11, 2016 11:25am

Can' t he pay fine and fees and get his expired license updated.

whoami Mar 11, 2016 12:16pm

Bhaijan is Innocent! Lakho Dil ki Dhadkan...Saccha he ye Indian!! :-)

KnowTheTruth Mar 11, 2016 12:17pm

He is innocent and has been framed by the forest officials, who bribed the antelope to commit suicide. This is not the first time he has been framed. In another incident a driverless car in which he was travelling drunk ran over and killed people sleeping on the pavement. He was charged for no fault of his (except that he was drunk - which is not a crime anyway)!. But the high court has been extra benevolent to provide him bail in 2 minutes, and discharged him of all charges and acquit him. Being a celebrity is such a sorry thing in India, that you always get targeted and framed because poor and hungry people are jealous of you .

Katrina Kafe, Australia Mar 11, 2016 01:05pm

Cases are deliberately pushed by using money power...after 18 years it will be difficult to get proper witness and investigation is nearly impossible making it difficult for courts to punish the culprits...Salman has got into trouble so many times but has always gone scott free...justice is only for rich. The poor who died and the black buck which he shooted only deserves justice in legal books.

Bilal Jamil Mar 11, 2016 02:27pm

It's all for the publicity stunt. More media coverage. He runs over and kills and injures several people while drinking under the influence but gets away with going to jail but same year he earns history's biggest hit with Bajarangi. Now if this black buck gets him in jail you can expect another blockbuster hit... maybe not as big as the last one since that was because he ran over humans and this is just an endangered species. Shame on humans for even watching this killer's movies and shame on the judges who set him free. There is only one Court that will hold him accountable for Salman's court.

Shehzad Zafar Mar 11, 2016 03:14pm

I like Salman Khan but after learning that he went for hunting of an endangered species not once but two times I begin to think that he is different than his looks.

East indian Mar 11, 2016 10:49pm

Money speaks and worls too.

Ajay Vikram Singh Mar 14, 2016 01:10am

Salman khan - Get well, before your luck runs out finally. You have already done too many "mistakes" in your life. One more wrong move, and you would lose it all. You must not have killed that Antelope for your fun. We Indians treat all living beings in our motherland as part of us, and we don't hunt down endangered animals just for fun. That happens in Pakistan and not in India. One more mistake - and that will be your last, as a bollywood hero.