Sunil Baghel (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 6, 2018)

Even as Salman Khan’s childhood friend Sajid Nadiadwala cancelled the success party of Baaghi 2 in the wake of the superstar getting a five year sentence in the 1998 black buck poaching case, Nadiadwala and scores of ‘Bhai’s’ friends and fans need not worry. Going by the history of the case that has lasted two decades, Salman appears to be on a good footing as far as securing bail is concerned.

One of the primary reasons why he shouldn’t find it so tough to secure bail (from a sessions court in this case) is the fact that he has been out on bail during the entire trial process, and he has been present for the legal proceedings whenever summoned.

Salman’s lawyer Anand Desai said the legal team had already filed an appeal against the judgment and the sessions court was likely to hear the appeal for suspension of the sentence/bail on Friday.

The statement also said that the judgment “came as a surprise” and that the acquittal of all the five coaccused implied that “Salman was out hunting alone in the middle of the night in a remote area outside Jodhpur”.

In a 201-page judgment, the Jodhpur CJM while deciding the case, observed that the witnesses’ deposition with respect to the other accused “only proved their presence in the same vehicle as Salman”, and not that they asked him to fire gunshots.

Due to pendency, it takes a few years for appeals to be heard, and, owing to his acquittals from higher courts in the cases that he was convicted earlier by the respective trial courts, Salman can’t be called a convict for any other case – a point that would be referred to by his lawyers before the Jodhpur Sessions Court, if needed.

In all probability, whichever side loses in the sessions court will challenge the order before the Rajasthan High Court.