The case dates back to October 2, 1998, when Salman Khan allegedly shot two black bucks
Actor Salman Khan will have to be present in a Jodhpur court on April 5 for judgement in the final poaching case against him, which involves the killing of two black bucks.
Actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam, who are charged with being present with Salman Khan in the Gypsy that he allegedly used for the hunt, will also have to appear in court.
The case dates back to the night of October 2, 1998, when Salman Khan allegedly shot two black bucks in Kankani village of Jodhpur.
The alleged poaching took place near an area inhabited by the Bishnois, a traditional community that protects the deer and remains vigilant against poachers in the area.
The villagers, on hearing gunshots, came out running. They allege that they even chased the Gypsy that Salman Khan was driving, and that the actor fled the scene, leaving the carcass behind. The Bishnois were key witnesses in this case against Salman Khan.
The black buck is an endangered species and is protected under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act. The punishment for hunting black buck can be up to six years in jail.
Salman Khan was charged with four cases for poaching and one under the Arms Act in Jodhpur in September-October 1998. But his lawyers claim there is no forensic evidence to prove the deer were hunted by guns and killed.
"The prosecution is alleging that Salman hunted and shot a deer, but there is no evidence of a gun being used and in the bodies of the deer no bullets were found. So how can they claim the deer were shot, and in the second post mortem also shooting by a gun was not proved. This case against Salman is false, and we have appealed to the judge to exonerate him," said his lawyer Hastimal Saraswat.