Salman Khan's conviction: All you need to know about the blackbuck poaching case

Salman Khan is in trouble after a Jodhpur court convicted the actor in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. He was found guilty under section 9/51 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. But what is the case all about?

Here’s a look at the controversial case of the killing of two blackbucks almost two decades ago

It all started during the shooting of the 1998 film Hum Saath Saath Hain in Rajasthan.It is alleged that it was at this time that actors Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, and Neelam went on a shooting expedition in Salman’s Gypsy.

Salman is believed to have killed two deer after he spotted a herd of them in Jodhpur's Kankani village.

According to the Bishnois, they had chased the actor with their bike but he got away. They also argued that deer carcass was found at the spot after the actors left.

Following protests by the local Bishnoi community, a case was filed against Salman and the other actors.

On October 12, 1998, Salman was arrested in connection with the poaching of endangered animals. However, he was granted bail later.

But on April 10, 2006, Khan was convicted in the hunting case by one of the trial courts under the Wildlife Protection Act. He was fined Rs 25,000, and, also sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment. Then again, a Rajasthan High Court on August 31, 2007 sentenced Salman to five years in prison, which was suspended a week later on his appeal.

Salman spent the week in the Jodhpur Central Jail. Later, the High Court dropped charges under the Arms Act against him.

But the case was not closed and the Supreme Court in 2014 issued a notice to Salman on the Rajasthan government's plea challenging an earlier Rajasthan High Court order that had suspended his conviction.

Two years later in 2016, Rajasthan High Court acquitted Khan in the Jodhpur blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases of 1998 due to lack of evidence. The High Court had said that there was no evidence to prove that the animals who were found dead were shot by the actor’s licensed gun.

But the Rajasthan government in the same year filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court's decision of acquitting actor Salman Khan in the two cases of chinkara poaching.

In 2017, Khan pleaded innocence but 2018’s decision came as a shock to the actor. But the other accused including Sonali Bendre, Tabu, Saif Ali Khan, Neelam Kothari have heaved a sigh of relief as they have been acquitted.