Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case: The actor's lawyer denied leniency

Jaipur: Law caught up with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan after 20 years as a court in Rajasthan found him guilty of poaching two blackbucks in 1998 and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. While demanding the maximum punishment of six years for the actor, the prosecution called Salman, 52, a habitual offender, a charge strongly objected to by Salman’s lawyer. The actor’s lawyer sought leniency saying that Salman had been acquitted by higher courts in two similar cases and had been involved in social service.

The court, however, rejected the plea saying, “There has been a rise in poaching incidents, so leniency is not justified given the severity of the crime, the evidence and the circumstances.” Media crews and security personnel swarmed the court premises and lined up along the two kilometre route from the court as the actor was whisked away in a Bolero police jeep to spend a night in jail.

This is his fourth stint in the Jodhpur Central Jail, which also houses religious preacher Asaram Bapu, who has been accused of rape. Jail sources said Salman was lodged in barrack number 2 in a heavily protected and secure. He has earlier spent a total of 18 days in the jail in 1998, 2006 and 2007, all for cases of poaching. Apart from the Kankani village case two separate cases had been registered against Salman for poaching of two chinkaras in village Bhawad on September 26, 1998 and one chinkara in Ghoda Farm on September 28, 1998.