Salman Khan to stay in jail, judgement on bail application to come on Saturday

Jaipur: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan will stay at least one more night behind bars at Jodhpur Central Jail as a local court in Jodhpur will likely pronounce the judgement on his bail application on Saturday. The actor’s lawyers filed the bail application in the district and sessions court.

The court of Judge Ravindra Kumar Jain heard arguments from the defense lawyers as well as the prosecution and summoned the records related to the case. The court said that the hearing will continue on Saturday and the bail application will be decided only after examining the records.

The court was crowded with his fans and well-wishers during the hearing.

Actress Preity Zinta arrived in Jodhpur to visit Salman Khan on Friday.

The court of chief judicial magistrate (Jaipur rural) had sentenced Salman Khan to five years imprisonment in connection with nearly 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case on Monday. The actor was immediately taken to Jodhpur Central Jail where he is currently lodged.

Courting a controversy, the prison authorities allowed the actor to sit on a chair in presence of the jail superintendent. Someone clicked the photograph and then uploaded it on social media. The prison authorities however refuted these reports saying that when formalities were being conducted with regard to his stay in the jail, the actor saw a chair and set on it without permission.

“He was given a prison uniform and lodged in a jail. The security has been stepped up, however we have not given any kind of special treatment to him. His cell doesn’t have any TV,” said a prison officer.

Other accused – including Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam were acquitted with the court giving them a benefit of doubt.

Salman received the punishment under sections 9 and section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act. The law has the provision of a maximum imprisonment of six years. As soon as the judgement was pronounced, other actors left the courtroom, while the police took Salman Khan into custody. He can appeal against the judgement in the district and sessions court. His lawyers also filed an application in the court that will come up for hearing on Thursday.

Salman had a total of four separate cases registered against him in connection with the poaching of blackbucks and chinkara.  Two of these cases were registered under section 51 of Wildlife (Protection) Act for poaching of two blackbucks in village Bhawad on 26-27 September, 1998 and one chinkara in Mathania (Ghoda Farm) on September 28-29, 1998.

In these two cases pertaining to the Wildlife Protection Act, the Rajasthan high court acquitted the actor in July, 2016.

The third case is pertaining to the use of illegal arms for poaching. He was acquitted in this case too.

In the fourth case, he has been pronounced guilty. This case is regarding the poaching of two blackbucks near Kakandi village on the intervening night of October 1 and October 2, 1998.