Cops nab duo who threatened Salman Khan for publicity amidst him skipping hearing in black-buck poaching case
MID-DAY (October 4, 2019)

Two men have been arrested in connection with a life threat to Salman Khan, the police said yesterday. As per the cops, the duo, identified as Jagdish and Jeki, have admitted that they threatened the actor to gain popularity among people. On September 16, a threat post on Facebook by an account named Gary Shooter carried a photo of Khan with a red cross, and read, "Salman, think, you can save yourself from Indian law, however, Vishnoi Samaj and Sopu Party has announced death sentence for you. You are an accused in Sopu’s court. Salaam sahid da nu; Respect girls; Save animals; Avoid drugs and help poors; Sukha kahlon Garry (sic)".

The post had appeared before the actor’s scheduled hearing in the Jodhpur court on September 27, in association with the long-running black-buck killing case. "Two people have been arrested. After interrogating them, we came to know that it was only to gain cheap popularity. The accused were a part of a car theft ring," Praveen Acharya, circle inspector at Chopasani police station, said.

Khan, who is accused in the black-buck poaching case, had skipped the Jodhpur court’s hearing on the said day. In 1998, Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu, Neelam Kothari and a local Dushyant Singh had allegedly killed two blackbucks in Jodhpur during the shooting of his 1999 blockbuster Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Ajay Parmar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 16, 2018)

Jodhpur: Rajasthan government will challenge the acquittal of Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam in the blackbuck poaching case in which Salman Khan was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment on April 5.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) S K Vyas said, “I have received the law department’s sanction for an appeal against their acquittal. I will file the appeal in the high court next week.” The five actors, along with two others — a local travel agent Dushyant Singh and Salman Khan’s then assistant Dinesh Gawre — were accused of poaching the endangered animals at Johdpur’s Kankani village on the night of October 1-2, 1998. While Gawre is on the run, the rest underwent trial before Salman Khan was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000 and the others acquitted. The four actors and Singh were charged as co-accused and framed under section 51 of Wild Life Act, section 149 IPC and section 52 of the Wild Life Act for provoking the main accused Salman Khan to poach the animal. But the trial court acquitted them because of lack of evidence.

“Forest department wrote to state government for appealing against acquittals. The matter was referred to law department, which gave a nod to file appeal”, said Mahipal Singh, a prosecution counsels.

MID-DAY (April 18, 2018)

Out on bail in the 1998 black buck poaching case, Salman Khan was granted permission to travel to the US, Canada and Nepal on Tuesday by Jodhpur Sessions Court judge Chandra Kumar Songara. The decision came after he submitted a plea to travel to four nations.

The actor’s case was presented by senior advocate Mahesh Bora after brief arguments by public prosecutor Pokar Ram.

He will reportedly be travelling to the international destinations from May 25 to July 10. Khan was granted bail in the poaching case on April 7 after being sentenced to a five-year jail term. He spent two nights in jail following the court’s verdict, before being granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000. District and Sessions Court Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi had then asked the actor not to leave the country without the court’s permission.

The superstar has now started shooting for Ali Abbas Zafar’s period drama, Bharat, which will also feature Priyanka Chopra.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; April 14, 2018)

A week after being granted bail by the District and Sessions court in odhpur in the  1998 black buck poaching case, Salman Khan has resumed work on his actioner, Race 3. If sources are to be believed, the actor’s conviction has affected the schedule of the Remo D’Souza-directed multi-starrer. It has been learnt that the final schedule was to be shot in South Africa, but was apparently called off after the court ordered that Khan can’t travel out of the country without its permission. Now, the team is said to have zeroed in on Leh instead as the final destination.

A source close to development says, “According to the original plan, South Africa was going to be the second last schedule followed by the Mumbai leg. After the court sentencing, certain changes had to be made in the schedule. The makers felt it would be feasible to wrap up the Mumbai schedule first, so that they didn’t lose out on time. Towards the month-end, they will head to Leh to film the song that was initially meant to be canned in foreign locales.”

When mid-day contacted D’Souza, the director informed that the team — including Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol and Daisy Shah — is flying to Leh in 10 days. Preferring to stay non-committal on what led to the last-minute location change, he said, “We were scouting for locations, and finally decided on Leh and Ladakh. It’s going to be a week-long shoot during which we will film a song.”

Producer Ramesh Taurani added that Leh would be the perfect setting for the song. “Leh will add to the aesthetic value of the number.”

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 9, 2018)

After he was granted bail by the Jodhpur High Court in the black buck poaching case on April 7, Salman Khan returned to his Mumbai home on Saturday. Katrina Kaif, Huma Qureshi, Bobby Deol, Varun Dhawan and filmmaker Kabir Khan were among those who dropped by his residence, along with hundreds of fans who crowded outside. The actor will resume shooting for the Remo D’Souza-directed third instalment of the Race franchise this week in the city.

Confirming the news, Race 3’s producer Ramesh Tauraní told Mirror, “Salman has contributed to every department, from Bobby’s (Deol) makeover to scripting of the characters of Anil Kapoor, Saqib (Salim) and Daisy (Shah). He will join the rest of the cast on the set this week to film a crucial sequence with Jacqueline (Fernandez).” They will also be shooting a song with the ensemble cast this month.

The makers are recreating Atif Aslam, Pritam, Anushka Manchanda and Vishal Dadlani’s racy track, “Allah Duhai Hai” from Race 2, which had been picturised on Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Saif Ali Khan, Anil and Jacqueline. Anil and Jacqueline return in the new rendition. The unit which wrapped up the film’s action-packed climax sequence in Abu Dhabi last month hopes to complete the film by April-end.


“It’s not about the film because films will keep getting made. We are all happy and relieved that bhai is out,” Ramesh asserted. However, the Bishnoi community is planning to move the Rajasthan High Court against the actor’s bail plea being granted. Salman will have to be present in court on May 7 for the next hearing.

BOMBAY TIMES (April 8, 2018)

After being sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with a fine of  Rs 10,000 in the 1998 black buck poaching case by the Jodhpur Sessions Court, Salman Khan was granted bail yesterday, against a bond of Rs 50,000. The co-accused in the case, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam Kothari and Sonali Bendre, were acquitted on Thursday and had returned to Mumbai the same day. The next hearing of the case is on May 7. At the time of going to press, Salman was scheduled to leave Jodhpur to return to Mumbai. Back home, outside his building Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, fans had begun to gather.

BT spoke to Ramesh Taurani, producer of Race 3, which is Salman’s next release. He said, “I can’t wait to meet Salman bhai. Not just me, the entire industry is celebrating that he’s coming home. I was getting incessant calls for the last two days from the media regarding Race 3. I must tell you that he had wrapped up most of the film. We’re just left with a song to be shot, which will be completed in India. The whole team of the film is eager to meet him. I am sure everyone in the industry was hoping and probably even expecting this to happen. We were all praying that he comes home soon and our prayers have indeed been answered.”

We also got in touch with Salman’s father Salim Khan, who politely said, “I’ve never commented on these issues and won’t do it this time as well.”

Day after Salman Khan is convicted in blackbuck poaching case, superstar's industry friends head to Jodhpur to meet him
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; April 7, 2018)

There was no relief for Salman Khan as the Jodhpur Sessions Court yesterday adjourned his bail plea hearing to Saturday. The actor, who was convicted by the trial court on Thursday in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and sentenced to five years in prison, spent his second night in the Jodhpur Central Jail yesterday.

While the others acquitted in the case - Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam - returned to the city on Thursday evening, many of Khan's friends rushed to Rajasthan. Preity Zinta, his co-star in several films like Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega (2000) and Jaan-E-Mann (2006), was seen arriving in Jodhpur last morning.

As per sources, she met the incarcerated actor in the jail. Filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala (above; right), who delivered the 2014 hit, Kick, with Khan, cancelled the success party of his latest release, Baaghi 2, and left for Jodhpur on Thursday night.

Back home, many of the actor's well-wishers, including Waheeda Rehman, Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez and David Dhawan were seen visiting his house to express their solidarity.

Ashish Mehta (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 7, 2018)

Jaipur: Qaidi number 106 at Jodhpur central jail skipped his dinner on Thursday and refused to eat porridge and gram which was served to inmates on Friday morning. But Salman Khan did not miss out on his daily workout which he is passionate about.

A jail officer said the Bollywood actor worked out for at least three hours on Friday evening inside ward number 2 – doing crunches, push-ups, skipping, jumping and other exercises.

Salman was restless late Thursday evening when a senior jail officer visited him and asked if he required a doctor. Salman politely refused and lay down on a mat on the floor. “He went off to sleep around midnight and got up for a few minutes at 6.30am when the jail siren sounded. He went back to sleep and got up at 8.30am,” said jail superintendent Vikram Singh.

The actor refused breakfast and asked the staff whether he was allowed to purchase something from the jail canteen. “He asked for a glass of milk and bread, which was given to him,” Singh said.

He added that Salman was restless around 9.45am and was seen walking in his ward. “At 11.30am he was informed that the court will decide on his bail application on Saturday. He then skipped lunch,” Singh added. But despite missing three successive meals, Salman surprised the jail staff when soon after meeting actor Preity Zinta and his sisters Alvira and Arpita in the afternoon, he started his workout in the scorching heat. Singh said he started the exercises at 3.30pm and continued till 6.30pm.

The jail staff served dinner at 7.30pm inside the ward: kakdi, tamatar ki sabzi, dal and chapati. “He has been given extra security. So, unlike other prisoners, he is not supposed to come out and take his dinner. He was served dinner inside his ward,” said an officer.

In the evening, Salman told the authorities he wanted to take a bath, which was organised inside the ward itself. “He is a tough man. He has been drinking water that is provided for every prisoner,” said an officer. While Salman met his sisters, he could not speak to his parents. “Every prisoner is allowed to speak to relatives on the phone on one of the two numbers provided by him. On his arrival, Salman had given the numbers of his father and his mother Sushila. But there was no reply on both the numbers. He will try the numbers again on Saturday,” said Singh.

Refuting reports that Salman spoke to fellow inmate Asaram Bapu, Singh said, “Both of them are high-profile prisoners. Salman was confined to his ward.”

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.

DNA (April 6, 2018)

For 20 years, Tabu, Sonali Bendre Behl, Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan and Neelam Kothari Soni have been inseparable. Like the title of their film Hum Saath Saath Hain during the shooting of which they found themselves embroiled in a controversy (the blackbuck poaching case), these stars, who aren’t exactly buddies, had to stay in regular touch with one another because of the long-drawn court proceedings.

Yesterday was judgement day. Salman was convicted and the others were acquitted, but even as they wiped their tears of relief, they were unable to truly smile. Firstly, because one of them, Salman, still had an arduous journey ahead. And secondly, because the memory of these last two decades have actually been a nightmare. And it has taken a toll on their mental and physical being.

An insider said, “A couple of stars from the group had to dig deep into their personal funds to pay for their legal fee. While some of the accused were more prosperous than others and had enough funds to meet the lawyers’ demands, for some, it was a difficult time.” One of the actors from the acquitted lot had earlier said, “I’ve not been so active in my career in the last few years. And, I had to depend on my savings to pay my legal counsel. It has drained me financially.”

Through the last few years, the actors regrouped in various places — sometimes at one of the actor’s homes in Bandra or at other times meeting in Jodhpur, hours before the Court case. One hears they would exchange pleasantries, but there was always an uncomfortable silence because the judgement was still due.

Yesterday, four of them walked free and one was left behind. As far as Bollywood goes, this chapter is far from over. After all, Salman is an important part of this community. Since he stood guilty as charged, there was no reason to rejoice.

What is the case about
In 1998, while shooting for Hum Saath Saath Hain in Rajasthan, Salman Khan along with his co-stars — Saif Ali Khan, Neelam Kothari Soni, Sonali Bendre Behl and Tabu — went on a shooting expedition. Salman is believed to have killed two blackbucks in Jodhpur’s Kankani village. On the midnight of October 1, 1998, the Bishnoi villagers, on hearing gunshots, came out running from their huts. They alleged that they chased the Gypsy that Salman was driving, and that he fled. The blackbuck is an endangered species and is protected under the Indian Wildlife Act. Following protests by the villagers, a case was filed against Salman, Saif, Neelam, Sonali and Tabu. Salman was charged under section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act whereas the others were charged under Section 51 read with Section 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. Yesterday, a Jodhpur court pronounced its verdict. Salman was found guilty and given a five-year jail term.

Meena Iyer (DNA; April 6, 2018)

On Thursday, when Salman Khan was given a five-year jail term in the blackbuck poaching case, a pall of gloom descended over Bollywood. The superstar, on whom mega bucks are riding, has almost been a parallel industry by himself in the last few years. His movies, starting with Wanted (2009), have been making more money collectively than those of many of his contemporaries. And he has been the film industry’s lifeline, so to speak.  Many kitchen fires have been kept burning from this one-man industry (check box for Salman’s films).

Three years ago, when he was acquitted in the hit-and-run case that happened in Bandra, Mumbai, a distributor had said, “When prayers go up in unison, even God listens.” Yesterday, the same distributor asked, “What’s the matter? Isn’t God listening?” A star son, who is close to Salman, said, “The news of Salman sir being indicted in the blackbuck case has not sunk in. I’m hoping this is a bad dream and it will go away.”

And even while a distraught industry tried hard to come to terms with the news, others pointed out what a nightmare the last three months have been.

On February 24, the industry lost Sridevi. As if that wasn’t bad enough, March 5 brought the news of Irrfan’s fight with a rare disease. The actor, who is actually at the peak of his career, was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour and is currently undergoing treatment in the UK. His movie with Vishal Bhardwaj has been put on hold indefinitely.

And now, to add insult to injury, Salman will end up being incarcerated in a case that has gone on for 20 long years. Honestly, on the one hand, the industry receives bountiful and on the other, its favourite children are under a black magic spell. Kisi ki buri nazar lag gayi hai.

Salman Khan's films

Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) Rs 339 Cr

Tubelight (2017) Rs114.57 Cr

Sultan (2016) Rs 300.67 Cr

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) Rs 194.30 Cr

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) Rs 315.49 Cr

Kick (2014) Rs 211.63 Cr

Jai Ho (2014) Rs 109.35 Cr

Dabangg 2 (2012) Rs 149.52 Cr

Ek Tha Tiger (2012) Rs186.84 Cr

Bodyguard (2011) Rs 144.78 Cr

Ready (2011) Rs 120.72 Cr

Dabangg (2010) Rs 141.24 Cr

Superstar Salman Khan gets 5-year jail term; Saif, Tabu, Neelam, Sonali Bendre get ‘benefit of doubt’
MUMBAI MIRROR (April 6, 2018)

The math comes to precisely 5. That’s how many years megastar Salman Khan will have to spend in jail, as per the order of a Jodhpur court. Salman was on Thursday convicted for poaching two black bucks — an endangered species — in October 1998, sentenced to five years of imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000.

The offence, under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, attracts a maximum punishment of six years in jail.

Dressed in a pair of jeans and a navy blue shirt, Salman had arrived in Jodhpur from Mumbai in a chartered plane and had planned his return for the afternoon in the hopes of an acquittal.

After the judgment was pronounced, the 52-year-old actor was immediately whisked away to Jodhpur Central Jail, where he had spent 18 days in total in 1998, 2006 and 2007 — all for cases of poaching. His lawyers said he would have to spend the night in jail as his bail request could be heard only on Friday. As he has been sentenced to more than three years of imprisonment, he would have to appeal in a higher court for bail.

The court acquitted the co-accused in the case — actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, and a local, Dushyant Singh — owing to lack of evidence and gave them the “benefit of doubt”.

Salman killed the black bucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur on October 1, 1998, during the shoot of film Hum Saath Saath Hain. Black bucks are endangered animals and are included in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The prosecution’s argument of the star being a habitual offender is said to have weighed heavily against him.
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Death threat from notorious gangster

A life threat to Salman has left the Jodhpur Central Jail’s staff on the edge. Dreaded criminal Lawrence Bishnoi, who is facing trial in over 20 cases of attempt to murder, carjacking, extortion and snatching, and Arms Act, had in January threatened to kill the actor.

“Salman Khan will be killed here, in Jodhpur. Then he will come to know about our (the Bishnoi community that had filed the poaching case against the actor) real identity,” Lawrence told reporters then.

Although Lawrence is lodged in a jail in Ajmer, a number of his accomplices are in the Jodhpur prison, prompting the staff to keep a tight vigil on Salman. — Prakash Bhandari in Jodhpur
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Rs 400 cr riding on Salman

Salman Khan was in Abu Dhabi shooting for Race 3 when he rushed to Mumbai on Wednesday. He boarded a chartered plane to reach Jodhpur.

Bollywood analysts say around Rs 400 crore could be riding on Salman, who has seen phenomenal box office success since the release of Dabangg (2010). Sources said his legal troubles will not really affect Race 3, as some patchwork and dubbing are all that’s left. The movie is slated for an Eid release.

Salman is scheduled to start the shoot of Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat in June. The big budget entertainer is scheduled to be shot in Spain, Poland, Portugal, Malta, Abu Dhabi, besides Punjab and Delhi. Around the same time, Salman is also scheduled to start shooting for the third instalment of home production Dabangg with Sonakshi Sinha. The film will be helmed by Prabhu Deva. There’s also the second instalment of Kick, to be directed by Salman’s closest friend, Sajid Nadiadwala.

The superstar is also bringing back his reality show Dus Ka Dum on television — the Indian version of the American game show Power of 10 — after nine years. —Natasha Coutinho

Bharati Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 6, 2018)

Jodhpur Sessions Court yesterday convicted Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The actor was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment along with a penalty of `10,000 under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. He was reportedly accused of killing blackbucks in a village near Jodhpur, during the shooting of Hum Saath Saath Hain.

The co-accused in the case — Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam Kothari — who were also present at the hearing yesterday, were acquitted. At the time of going to press, Salman was taken into custody, and was reportedly to be housed in the Jodhpur Central Jail. His bail application will be heard in court today.

When Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri pronounced Salman guilty in court, his sisters Alvira Agnihotri and Arpita Khan Sharma, who had accompanied him to the court along with his bodyguard Shera, broke down.

Before the actors reached the court, security had been beefed up, with officials deployed inside and outside the court complex. To avoid mishaps and misinformation, the entry of media and other lawyers inside the courtroom was restricted to only those associated with the case.

Back home in Mumbai, the actor’s fans were waiting for his return, but instead, the news reached them that he had been pronounced guilty.
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Excerpts from Salman Khan’s previous interviews with us

It becomes a media trial. Hum khud nahi baat kar sakte hain about any detail because it is sub judice. Lekin baaki saari duniya baat karti hai. Aapne do galat article likh diye mere baare mein toh judge sahib ne dekhe hain... Woh kahin na kahin influence kar jaate hain... In any high-profile celeb case in a small court, if you let the person get away, the media will say, how can you let him get away, he is powerful, he has connections, etc, etc. If the star is thrown inside prison, then also the media will start off, saying fans are upset, the case is not strong enough, you are just making an example out of him. So it’s a Catch-22 situation even for the authorities... We need people to take a stand

— In August 2009
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Q: I heard from a cine source that for all the branding Salman has got because of the blackbuck case, the reality is that in a group of many people, all of whom were equally involved – or equally not involved – one guy chose to say, ‘I will carry it all on my head, you can walk off’. How true is that?

I don’t know the jungle. I am from Bombay. If you put me in a forest, or if you even put me in some street in Mumbai itself — Kandivali, Dharavi, Virar, Colaba — I may not know how to get back. You’re expecting me to go 30-40 km in the middle of the jungle, in the middle of the night, driving a gypsy, with a searchlight in my hand, without a driver, without anybody. While driving, find the animal, chase the animal, shoot the animal, put it back. So it’s night, I’m driving with one hand, I’m holding the searchlight with the other, and I’m shooting with which hand?

I don’t even know the route back to the hotel if I am in the middle of the jungle. There is nobody to ask at midnight. And, in the middle of the same forest, they have some 370 witnesses. Come on...

— In May 2011

20 Years Later, Superstar Salman Given 5 Years’ Jail For Shooting Blackbucks; Co-Stars Saif, Sonali, Neelam And Tabu Let Off
Bhanupratap Singh (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 6, 2018)

Jodhpur: Nearly 20 years after his infamous blackbuck hunts made national headlines, the law finally caught up with Bollywood megastar Salman Khan on Thursday. A trial court sentenced the actor to five years in prison for poaching two of the protected antelopes at Kankani village in 1998.

Salman, who was present in court with his sisters Alvira and Arpita, spent the night in Jodhpur central jail, where he was taken soon after the verdict was pronounced.

Salman’s co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, who allegedly accompanied him during the hunt on the night of October 1-2, 1998, were given the benefit of doubt and acquitted. All of them were camping in Jodhpur at that time for the shooting of ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’.

“Khan is a film star whose actions are followed by the common man and still he shot dead two innocent and mute blackbucks, a Schedule-I animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, so he cannot be granted benefit under the Probation of Offenders Act as sought by the defence,” chief judicial magistrate (Jodhpur rural) Dev Kumar Khatri wrote in the 201-page judgment.

Salman’s lawyer H M Saraswat swiftly filed a bail application for the star in the sessions court which is on the same premises. The plea will be heard on Friday. Saraswat said an appeal against the conviction too would be filed soon after going through the trial court’s verdict.

The defence lawyer had pleaded for leniency for Salman under the Probation of Offenders Act. But the judge said the benefit was being denied also because incidents of illegal hunting were on the rise. The court found Khan guilty under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife Protection Act and also imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000. This was the third poaching case against Salman during the shooting of ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’. Lower courts convicted him in two other cases but he was subsequently acquitted by the HC.

The Rajasthan government had appealed against Salman’s previous acquittals and two cases are pending in the Supreme Court since October 2016.

Apart from Salman’s four co-stars, another co-accused, Dushyant Singh, a local travel and transport agent who was allegedly with them when the crime was committed, was also acquitted in the Kankani case.

Anand Desai, another lawyer of the Bollywood star, said in a statement: “It (the verdict) just came as a surprise, as the entire investigation and facts were the same as those for which Salman had been acquitted by the high court of Rajasthan in two cases and even by the trial court in an Arms Act case concerning the same night.”

While acquitting Salman’s co-accused, the judge said though their presence at the crime scene has been shown in the statements of witnesses, their involvement in the crime has not been established beyond doubt. The prosecution said it would appeal against all acquittals.

Youths from the Bishnoi community and wildlife lovers who had gathered outside the court burst crackers as soon as they learnt about Salman’s conviction. Mahipal Bishnoi, lawyer for the Bishnoi Tiger Force, an organisation known for protecting blackbucks even at the cost of their lives, said: “We are happy that Khan has been sentenced, but we will ask the government to appeal against those who have been acquitted in this case.”

Public prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati said the statements of witness Chhogaram, DNA fingerprinting and the postmortem reports of the blackbucks helped in nailing Salman. “We were able to establish that the two blackbucks died from gunshots and that these were fired by Salman,” said Bhati, who had demanded maximum punishment of six years in jail for the actor.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; January 28, 2017)

BOMBAY TIMES (January 19, 2017)

Renuka Shahane, who faced flak for her Salman Khan post, reveals she’s been on social media since 2008 and isn’t going to get off any time soon
Jane Borges (MID-DAY; August 28, 2016)

It's 5.30 in the evening, and we are dot on time for our interview with actress Renuka Shahane at a posh, suburban club. Still occupied in a meeting that we were forewarned about, she answers our phone call, but pushes in a request, "Could you please wait for five minutes?" When her engagement ends 20 minutes later, the actress is sincerely apologetic, and though not required, makes it a point to explain what caused the hold-up. She's the same person, who a month ago, refused to say sorry or cow down to loyal fans of actor Salman Khan, when she created a stir with a Facebook post that questioned the Bollywood superstar's acquittal in the chinkara poaching case.

While the post won her over 10,000 likes, and more than 3,100 shares, with comments oscillating between "brave woman" to "shame on you lady", the Marathi actress, tells us now, in the most of matter-of-fact way, "It was just my opinion, on my timeline."

"And, I have been doing that ever since I discovered social media, way back in 2008," she informs. "I find Facebook a great platform to put my thoughts out. It's not restrictive like Twitter, where you have only 140 characters to say what you feel," she says.

That it took an "anti-Khan" post to race the face of TV's most popular cultural show Surabhi, back in the limelight, is not lost on her. "People thought I was doing it for publicity," she says. "Do I need it?" she asks, and immediately follows it with an affirmative, "No!"

Despite a few acting projects that keep her busy, 49-year-old Shahane, who is married to award-winning actor Ashutosh Rana and is mother to two sons Shauryaman and Satyendra, likes to describe herself as a full-time homemaker, and a content one at that too. Having an opinion, she says, comes naturally to her, thanks to her mother, veteran writer, theatre critic and journalist Shanta Gokhale. "Her core values of honesty, non-discrimination and independent thinking, have passed down to me," says Shahane.

Only last week, she made news again, when she robustly opposed the use of fairness creams. "Achievement has nothing to do with the colour of any body's skin!!! So stop watching the regressive, moronic, simpering, over made-up women & their inconsequential, irritating male counterparts in our daily soaps on tv & get a reality check about what we as Indians have been achieving (sic)," she wrote, possibly taking a dig at her own fraternity.

Her views, sometimes angry, often thought-provoking have made her a talking point of late. "All we need today is for one post to go viral, and then suddenly people watch out for what you have to say," she says, while referring to the Khan post. "But, honestly, I did not see this coming," she insists.

Here was an actress, who had once played Khan's doting bhabhi in the 1994 family drama Hum Aapke Hain Koun, and was now being openly critical about his acquittal, when most of Bollywood was rallying around the actor. "This had nothing to do with Salman, the actor," she clarifies. "I have worked with him before, and he is genuinely one of the most generous and kindest people I have met." "I was questioning the legal system. The courts are one place where we expect justice, but are we getting that? Yes, I asked if money had exchanged hands...but it is not the first time that anyone has asked these questions,"
she says.

While her views resonated with some, Shahane wasn't prepared for the brickbats, she received. "I get trolled on Twitter constantly, and sometimes for the most harmless opinions. People have something negative to say about the most positive of things."

Her trolls spiralled when she published her thoughts on the chinkara case on July 25. "Salman's fans were so upset with me. They said illogical things, and took personal digs at me. One person was extremely mean and called me a 'prostitute'. I had to register a complaint with Maneka Gandhi, who only recently urged women harassed on social media, to contact her directly on her Twitter handle," she says. "The problem is that when you are a blind follower of anybody, it results in being nasty towards anybody who might not conform to your view," she says.

However, the issue here, she says, is being a woman and having an opinion. "People don't like intelligent women on social media, especially Twitter," she says. "Misogyny is the riding force. I told my husband that if you had said the very thing that I said (on Khan), you wouldn't have been abused the way I was. It is expected of men to have strong opinions, but when it comes to a woman, people can be down right nasty."

But, has it stopped her from voicing her thoughts? "Definitely, not," she says. "Why should you take sh**t from anybody? My opinions are not uninformed, and I seriously put a lot of thought into what I say. I come from a family of writers, and I write too. I am not just the 'sweet-smiling' person you see on screen. You can't be quiet because you fear receiving a lot of flak. Then, social change will never happen."

That brings us to what keeps Shahane busy these days. "Writing," she smiles. Shahane, who wrote her first screenplay for the Marathi film Rita (adapted from her mother's fiction), is currently in the midst of writing the screenplay for an English-Marathi film, which she intends to direct next year. "I manage to spare time for my writing, after my kids go to school because once they are at home, I am around them," she says. She just wrapped the Marathi show Comedychi Bullet Train, where she was one of the judges. But, for now, she'd like to take it slow. "I am glad that I can articulate the serious part of me, which is related to my mind," she says. "It's nice to be appreciated, and it's okay to be not, either."

Salim Khan responds to adverse reactions to son Salman Khan's acquittal in the 1998 poaching case
Gaurav Dubey and Kasmin Fernandes (MID-DAY; July 26, 2016)

Soon after news of Salman Khan's acquittal in the 1998 chinkara and blackbuck poaching case trickled in yesterday (Read More), social media went into overdrive with netizens expressing a range of emotions — joy, relief, anger and sarcasm. Barring a few, most B-Town folk shied away from tweeting about the big story. Internet trolls, however, had a field day, coming up with memes and jokes on what led the Rajasthan High Court to give a clean chit to Salman.

Salman's father, Salim Khan wasn't in the least bit amused about the relentless trolling. He said, "We are relieved and happy. We always knew we would get justice. I would say that people who have been talking against this [ruling] need to respect the judgment. Even if it had gone against us, we would have accepted it."

The star's sister, Arpita Khan Sharma, tweeted: "Thank you God for always showering us with your grace and blessings. Today is a big day for us @BeingSalmanKhan. Thank U to all bhais and the families, well wishers for your prayers, support, love and best wishes. This wouldn't have been possible without you (sic)."

Salman later thanked fans in a one-line tweet, "Thank u for ur prayers and support (sic)."

Others to congratulate Salman on social media were Subhash Ghai and Ram Gopal Varma with the latter rubbing the judicial system's nose in the dirt. Singer Sona Mohapatra and celeb hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani, who had earlier slammed the Sultan actor over his 'rape' remark, condemned his acquittal. Sapna wrote, "Salman Khan is the biggest joke to come out of India" while Sona said, "Money, political Mileage & messiah of Mediocrity. 3M's help 'get away'. Not for long."

How black is the buck?

Excerpts from what Renuka Shahane, Salman's reel bhabhi in Hum Aapke Hain Koun, wrote on Facebook: "In 1998 a blackbuck & 2 Chinkaras (that are endangered species) were allegedly killed on a hunting trip that included Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Amrita Singh, Tabu and Sonali Bendre. Somehow... they wanted to shoot endangered animals. And they did and ate them too. But did they? Out of all, only Salman was charged for killing a blackbuck and a chinkara. He also served time for the same in Jodhpur jail. No charges were framed against the others. The case carried on and on and on as our cases do for two main reasons — 1) Having big bucks (sometimes even black bucks, different from the blackbuck who passed) or 2) Not having big bucks.

Salman of course falls in the 1st category. So, now, after 18 years he has been acquitted of charges in both cases. Some questions come to mind: 1) Who killed the Black Buck & the Chinkaras? 2) Did the driver kill them? 3) Did nobody kill them? 4) Do judges decide according to Buckworth-Lewis method? (What? Er...it's Duckworth-Lewis?) Sorry! 4) Who will pay for the mental torture that Salman has had to go through now that he has been declared not guilty? 5) Doesn't the nation want to know the truth? (preferably very loudly) What? The nation doesn't want to know? No? Why? Oh you don't say... busy spending bucks on Sultan...

Er, then let it pass....yeah the Buck, what else? Dear, deer! Surreal!!!"

Sonil Dedhia (BOMBAY TIMES; July 26, 2016)