Salman is now inmate number 106
BLACKBUCK Bishnois’ empathy for wildlife led to conviction
JAIPUR: For more than 500 years, the Bishnoi community has served as the guardian angel of wildlife in western Rajasthan — protecting and nurturing animals with love and compassion.
The community’s legendary attachment to animals also played a crucial role in the conviction of actor Salman Khan in a 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case, activists and investigators said on Thursday. Earlier too, the community had played its part in the conviction of Khan in two other cases of poaching chinkara.
In the blackbuck case, Poonamchand Bishnoi was one of the two eyewitnesses to poaching on the intervening night of October 1 and 2 in 1998. The other was Chhogaram Bishnoi, but he was not part of the prosecution witnesses because of ill health.
“Poonamchand Bishnoi’s statements (in court) played the most important part in the conviction,” said Mahipal Bishnoi, who represented the community in the three poaching cases against Khan in court. In the other cases, the actor was convicted of killing chinkaras in Bhawad and Mathania villages but was later acquitted by the Rajasthan high court.
Poonamchand Bishnoi, now a contractor, said he felt “fulfilled” that justice has been done almost 20 years after the incident but refused to comment further.
The vegetarian Bishnois, a sub-sect of Hindus, believe in compassion for all living beings and protect the entire ecosystem that exists in their villages. Animals like blackbucks and chinka- ras, and birds such as vultures, peacocks and the endangered Great Indian Bustard, find safe havens in Bishnoi villages. Bishnoi women are also known to breastfeed orphaned or abandoned young animals. There are an estimated 50 million Bishnois across north India but mostly concentrated in Rajasthan.
Rampal Bhawad, 44, state president of the Bishnoi Tiger Force, said the community follows its founder Guru Jambheshwar’s 29 tenets, which include compassion towards animals and plants. The force, formed in 1995, has been in the forefront of lodging cases of poaching in western Rajasthan where it is active.
“We have registered more than 400 cases so far and we make sure that the witnesses in our cases stand their ground in courts. We hold mock courts to train them on how to depose before magistrates and motivate them to remain firm during the trial of the cases,” Bhawad said.
Bhawad said the community ACCUSED: 10 APRIL, 2006:
24 AUGUST, 2007: 25 JULY,2 016: 26 OCTOBER, 2016: to Khan has lost more than two dozen members trying to save wildlife.
Chief conservator of forest (wildlife) in Jodhpur, RS Shekhawat, said the Bishnois have a strong network and inform the department of poaching cases. “The community has traditionally been into protection and conservation of the wildlife. It is true that the wildlife of the area owes a lot to their efforts to save it.”
Bishnoi Tiger Force members burst crackers outside the court campus and distributed sweets on Thursday to celebrate victory.
Investigating officer Lalit Bora, DNA expert GL Rao and doctors who conducted postmortem examinations on the blackbucks were the other important links in the prosecution. Bora thanked the Bishnoi community for their commitment to wildlife. “We had circumstantial evidence and seizures of articles to prove that poaching was done but evidence of eyewitnesses was more important,” said the former forest service officer. ACCUSED: 5 APRIL, 2018: 5 APRIL, 2018:
A case of possessing arms—.32 Us-made revolver and .22 rifle—whose licence had expired was filed at the Luni police station of Jodhpur district against Salman Khan. The weapon was allegedly used in poaching of blackbucks. ACCUSED: Salman Khan
18 JANUARY, 2017: Acquitted by chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court
12 JUNE, 2017: State government appeals in sessions court. No verdict on case yet.
Salman has done tremendous work for humanity’s sake... But that doesn’t coexist with the case. I am very happy that this judgment has come but it has come very late. The law takes its course. Can’t argue it. But at this point in time I just feel helpless and my heart goes out to @Beingsalmankhan and his family...
Beingsalmankhan would never ever harm any animal...the real culprit should be exposed. 20 years is too long to bear someone else’s cross.