SALMAN ASKED TO APPEAR IN COURT AGAIN IN ARMS ACT CASE
JODHPUR: A cour t here on Thursday ordered film star Salman Khan to appear before it on March 10 in connection with a 17-year-old trial in connection with the illegal possession of arms used for poaching black buck. The case is registered under the Arms Act.
The statements of five other accused, along with Salman, will be recorded on the day, after which a final argument will be taken up.
The district and sessions court gave this order after rejecting an application of the defence seeking recalling a prosecution witness for his examination.
“The court has rejected the application of the defence seeking recalling of a prosecution witness, the then district magistrate Rajat Kumar Mishra, and ordered the defence to ensure the presence of Khan in the court on March 10 for the recording of the accused’s statements”, said additional public prosecutor Dinesh Tiwari.
The trial was completed with the re-examination of five prosecution witnesses on Wednesday, immediately after which defence counsel HM Saraswat moved a fresh application to recall Mishra.
But magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit rejected the application on Thursday, saying the defence was given enough time for re-examination.
Earlier, the chief judicial magistrate court (rural) had recorded statements of Salman as an accused. Saying he was innocent, Salman sought permission to resummon five witnesses.
Salman was accused of hunting two black bucks while shooting for the film ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ at Kankani village near Jodhpur in Rajasthan on October 1, 1998. The forest department also filed a separate case under the Arms Act, accusing Khan of not renewing the licences of a revolver and a rifle in his possession.