Driver stands by statement that Salman shot chinkaras in Jaipur

JAIPUR: Bollywood star Salman Khan’s jeep driver in Jodhpur said on Wednesday he stands by his statement that the actor shot dead chinkaras and blackbucks in a deer hunt while shooting a movie in 1998.

His statement came two days after the 50-year-old actor was acquitted by the Rajasthan high court in two cases related to poaching of chinkaras when he was shooting for Hum Saath Saath Hain. Harish Dulani, who was reported to be missing, was neither examined nor crossexamined, and it was one of the reasons for suspecting that he was a planted witness.

Dulani, 37, who works as a commercial driver and lives in Jodhpur with his wife and two sons, said he got threats and went into hiding for some time, but dismissed the charge he didn’t go to court for examination as prosecution witness.

“I went to court, but was not examined because the defence lawyer was not present.”

In his statement to the magistrate on October 14, 1998, Dulani said Khan killed three chinkaras on September 26 and 28. He was driving the actor around in a Maruti Gypsy, which belonged to a local resident.

Dulani said on the night of September 26, Khan shot two chinkaras in Bhawad village. The actor was at the wheel, and returned to Umaid Palace Hotel after killing the animals, he claimed. The statement says Dulani and another man took the chinkaras to another hotel for skinning, and brought the Gypsy home to clean it.