Salman Qaidi No. 106, breaks down in court
Actor gets 5 years, bail hearing today
Law caught up with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan after 20 years as a court in Rajasthan found him guilty of poaching two blackbucks in 1998 and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment.
The court acquitted Salman’s four co-accused and actors — Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre.
Following the sentencing, tears rolled down Salman’s cheeks and his sisters Alvira and Arpita, who were also present in the court, broke down.
He was taken into custody by the police inside the court premises after the verdict. The film star, who was taken to Jodhpur jail from court and allotted 106 as prisoner number, has filed a bail application in a sessions court which is likely to hear his plea on Friday.
Chief judicial magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri said, “The accused is a popular actor whose deeds are followed by people. Despite this, the accused hunted two blackbucks.”
SALMAN GOT convicted under Section 51 of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. It prohibits hunting of blackbucks.
SALMAN WILL have to spend at least a day in jail as he has been sentenced with 5-year imprisonment.
KILLING of 2 blackbucks took place near a village of Bishnois during the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain in September 1998.
SAIF ALI Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre have been acquitted.
Mumbai, April 5: The Hindi film industry erupted with outrage and concern as Salman Khan was on Thursday sentenced to five years in jail for killing endangered blackbucks, with many of his colleagues stressing that the successful actor had been punished because he was a star, and just a few pointing out that justice had been delivered.
As the 52-year-old actor's friends and colleagues reacted with shock over the jail term for the superstar in the 1998 poaching case, director Subhash Ghai said Khan was likely to appeal to a higher court.
“I am extremely shocked,” Ghai, who has worked with Khan in several films, tweeted. Friends started tweeting and fans began to gather outside Khan's house in Galaxy Apartment, Bandra, soon after the verdict was announced. A police van has been stationed outside his house since the morning.
“I don't know how to react. I am numb. I hope he stays strong. His fans will always love him,” a young devotee, standing outside the actor’s house, said.
Khan was taken to the Jodhpur central jail after he was convicted of gunning down two blackbuck 20 years ago in Rajasthan, where he was shooting for Hum Saath Saath Hain.
Actor-director Samir Soni said though he was happy for his wife Neelam being acquitted, he believed Khan had been targeted for his star status.
“I have mixed emotions right now. I am happy for Neelam and the rest. It is a 20- year-old ordeal. I don't know why Salman was singled out. It seems his (star) status has come in the way,” Soni said.
Many, including Ghai, sought to stress that Khan was a “nice” man.
Actor- parliamentarian Jaya Bachchan said the punishment was harsh, and added that Khan had done “a lot of humanitarian work”. Actor Himani Shivpuri, who played Khan’s aunt in the film, said he was a “nice individual” who was “near and dear” to her. The blackbuck was an endangered species, sacred to the Bishnoi tribe, she said. “”I feel if you are killing or shooting an innocent animal (and) it is against the law, then the law has every right to pass a judgement. — PTI