Salman thanks fans for support after Blackbuck case dismissed

MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan thanked his fans for their support and concern after Jodhpur District and Sessions Court dismissed two pleas filed by the Rajasthan government against him in a case related to submitting false affidavit in the court in 2003.

Posted a picture on Instagram, Salman said: “To all my fans.. thank u for your love support n concern. Khayal rakho apna n parivaar ka (take care of yourself and your family). God bless n loveee u too…”

In 1998, Salman was arrested for hunting two blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur during the shooting of the film “Hum Saath Saath Hain”. At that time, a case under Arms Act was registered against the actor and the court had asked him to submit his arms licence.

Salman submitted an affidavit in the court in 2003, saying that he had lost the licence. He also lodged an FIR at the Bandra police station in Mumbai in this connection. However, the court later came to know that his Arms licence was not lost, but had been submitted for renewal.

Public prosecutor Bhavani Singh Bhati had then demanded that a case of misleading the court be filed against the actor. However, on Thursday, the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court judge Raghavendra Kachwal dismissed the pleas filed against Salman.

Earlier on Tuesday, Salman had apologised before the court for ‘mistakenly’ submitting a false affidavit in 2003 during his hearing in the blackbuck poaching case.

His lawyer Saraswat told the court that the actor should be forgiven for mistakenly submitting the false affidavit back then.

A trial court in 2018 had convicted Salman and awarded a five-year prison sentence to him for the killing of the blackbucks in October 1998.

The actor had challenged the trial court verdict in the sessions court. Salman’s fellow actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, who were present on the spot in Kankani along with him, were acquitted.