Blackbuck case: Salman Khan in jail for 1 more day; bail tomorrow? updates
District and Sessions Court Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi on Friday adjourned Bollywood star Salman Khan's bail hearing in a 1998 blackbuck poaching case to Saturday. Joshi told the media here that he has reserved the judgment till April 7, which means, Salman Khan will have to spend yet another night in prison. Pronouncing the verdict in the 20-year-old case, another court in Jodhpur had on Thursday convicted the actor and sentenced him to five years in jail. The other co-accused in the case -- Tabu, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam -- meanwhile, were cleared of all charges. Additonally, a penalty of Rs 10,000 was also imposed on Khan.The actor is accused of killing two blackbucks in the Kankani village near Jodhpur in 1998 during the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain. Here are top 10 developments related to the 1998 Salman Khan Blackbuck poaching case in which Khan has been sentenced to 5 years in jail and other coaccused have been acquitted:
1. Salman Khan's bail hearing underway: While Salman Khan fans gathered outside Jodhpur Session court, his lawyer stepped into the room where his fate will be declared. Salman Khan had to spend the night in Jodhpur Central jail after being held guilty in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case on Thursday, but Friday might be a better day for him. 2. Key witness did not identify Tabu, Sonali Bendre in court: A crucial eyewitness failed to recognise Tabu and Sonali Bendre while being grilled by their lawyer. As for Saif Ali Khan, the witness testimony indicated his presence in the front seat of the vehicle. However, there was no evidence to prove that he instigated Salman to fire at the Blackbucks. 3. Salman Khan gets death threat from local gangster: A Punjab-based gangster, Lawrence Bishnoi, on Friday threatened to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan.The notorious gangster was brought to a Jodhpur local court on production warrant. While being taken into the police vehicle, Bishnoi said he would kill Khan in Jodhpur itself. 4. Salman Khan gets number 106 in Jodhpur jail: Salman Khan has been lodged in ward number 2 and given number 106 in Jodhpur Central jail.As per the Jodhpur DIG (Jail) Vikram Singh, multiple layers of security have been put in place for the actor in the jail, and he has been lodged in a separate barrack. 5. Salman Khan's Rs 5-bn films hang in the balance after sentencing: Salman Khan, sultan of the Rs 1 billion box-office club, might just be dethroned. He is slated to star in four major films over the next two years — Race 3, Dabangg 3, Kick 2 and Bharat. 6. Animal rights activists welcome Salman conviction: Animal right groups on Thursday welcomed the sentencing of Bollywood star Salman Khan in a 1998 blackbuck killing case, asserting the verdict proved no one was above the law, while a section of activists said the actor should have been given the maximum punishment under the Wildlife Act. 7. Salman convicted because he's a Muslim, said Pak FM: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif linked the sentencing of Salman Khan in the blackbuck case with the actor's religion and said he has been sentenced "because he's a minority". 8. Pak minister trolled for giving communal colour to Salman's conviction: Twitterers were up in arms on Thursday after Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif linked the sentencing of Salman Khan in the blackbuck case with the actor's religion and said he has been sentenced "because he's a minority". 9. Salman's fourth stint at Jodhpur Central Jail begins: Jail sources said Salman was lodged in barrack number 2 in a heavily protected and secure cell. He would have to spend at least one night in the jail until his bail hearing tomorrow. 10. Salman Khan's lawyer said the actor preferred an appeal to sessions court: "Also, in the present case, the Hon'ble Court has acquitted all the five co-accused, which would imply that Salman was out hunting alone in the middle of the night in a remote area outside Jodhpur.