In a significant development in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case, the Rajasthan High Court on Friday directed that appeals involving Bollywood actors including Salman Khan be listed for hearing on July 28.
This includes both the state's appeal against the acquittal of actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu, and Salman Khan's appeal against his conviction.
The case stems from the alleged poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur in September 1998 during the shooting of the film 'Ham Saath Saath Hain'.
Salman Khan was convicted by the trial court on April 5, 2018 and sentenced to five years in prison, while his co-accused -- the other actors and a local resident Dushyant Singh -- were acquitted.
Following the verdict, Salman Khan challenged his conviction in the sessions court. Simultaneously, the state government filed a leave-to-appeal in the high court against the acquittal of the co-accused. The high court admitted the plea and issued notices.
Later, Salman Khan moved a transfer petition, requesting his appeal be shifted from the sessions court to the high court, citing that both cases were part of the same trial and judgment. The high court accepted this request and transferred his case accordingly.
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Advocate Mahipal Bishnoi, representing the complainants, stated that despite both matters being in the high court, no progress was made for years.
"We prayed in the court today to list both appeals for hearing," he said.
Justice Manoj Kumar Garg, allowing the prayer, ordered both appeals to be clubbed together and listed for hearing on July 28.
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