A city court today framed fresh charges against Bollywood star Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam and six others under the Wildlife Protection Act in the black buck hunting case.
While Salman was charged with hunting a black buck, charges against others were framed for provoking the poaching of endangered species in the court of Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit.
All the accused were present in the court which fixed July 3 as the next date of hearing.
Charges had been framed against the accused earlier too, but the defense counsel had filed review petitions in the Upper District and sessions Court. The court had relieved them of the charges under section 147, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code and section 27 of the Arms Act of India. Hence, charges were framed afresh against them under section 51 and 52 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Earlier, the court had framed charges against Salman Khan under section 148 of the India Penal Code, section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act and section 27 of the Arms Act. While the others were booked under section 147 and 149 of Indian Penal Code, and section 52 of Wildlife Protection Act.
The accused can be awarded a maximum punishment of six years along with a fine of Rs 25,000, if proved guilty under both the sections of Wildlife Protection Act in the court.
The prosecution has filed review petitions in the High Court for framing charges against the accused which were repealed by the Upper District and Sessions Court. The state government permitted the prosecution to file review petitions in the court on June 17.
The forest department had filed a report in Luni police station on October 15, 1998 that the actors were involved in killing two black bucks on October 1-2, 1998 in the Kankani region.
The case is still on in the court and four witnesses have already testified before the framing of charges.
The prosecution has presented a list of 51 witnesses in the court. The witnesses will be tried from July 3.
If the High Court, after hearing the review petitions, effects changes in the sections, then fresh charges will probably have to be framed.
Jodhpur's Chief Judicial Magistrate had awarded Salman one year and five year imprisonment in two separate cases, against which review petitions were filed in the District and Sessions court.
