JODHPUR -- Ten years after actor Salman Khan was sentenced by a lower court in two cases of killing chinkaras, hearing on his appeal against the sentence in one of these cases started in Rajasthan High Court yesterday.
While opening the hearing, Khan's counsel Mahesh Bora questioned the two inspections of the gypsy, allegedly used by Khan for poaching.
The lawyer questioned the "difference" in the reports of both of these inspections carried out at a gap of five days.
The first inspection was done by the forest officer and the second by the police, a day after filing of the FIR.
"While the first report mentioned some faded blood-like stains in the gypsy, the second report mentioned finding of hair strands and six pellets in the same gypsy, which was interestingly in possession of the forest department then," Bora argued.
He also raised question about the theory of the use of arms by Khan in the poaching and claimed that the arms in question were not with the actor. The actor's lawyer alleged that the arms were later brought from Mumbai.
"When no weapon was used in the alleged poaching, how could they be connected with the poaching," Bora questioned.
The hearing will continue today.
The actor was booked for poaching of two chinkaras in Bhawad area of Jodhpur on September 26-27, 1998 during the shooting of his movie Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999).
There were eight accused in this case. Leaving Khan and Satish Shah rest were locals.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate had sentenced Khan for one year on 17 February, 2006. All the remaining accused were acquitted.
The actor appealed against the order in the Sessions court while the state government appealed simultaneously in the High Court for the enhancement of the sentence and challenging the acquittal of other accused.
"The appeal of Khan was later shifted to the High Court considering the two other appeals by the state in the High Court so that the hearing of all the appeals could progress together," said one of the government counsels Mahipal Bishnoi.
Another appeal of the actor, against his conviction for five years in the second case of chinkara killing, is also pending before the High Court.
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