The Rajasthan High Court has issued bailable warrants against Salman Khan and seven others after admitting a state government appeal for enhancement of the jail term awarded to him by a local court in the Bhavad village poaching case of September 1998.
The Leave to Appeal (LA) of the government challenged Salman's acquittal under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act when he was sentenced, in February 2006, to a year in prison for killing a chinkara, a species of gazelle. It also contested the acquittal in the case of actor-comedian Satish Shah and six local residents -- Mohammed Hussain, Kuldeep Singh, Mahendra Pal Singh, Mahendra Singh, Dushyant Singh and Yashpal Singh.
Justice H R Panwar of the court's main Bench observed that the facts and circumstances deemed it a fit case for appeal, and converted the LA to a Criminal Appeal. He directed bailable warrants of Rs 5,000 each for the eight accused and summoned them to appear before court on November 2 and every subsequent hearing.
Chief Judicial Magistrate B K Jain had, in February, convicted Salman in the case under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. He was, however, acquitted of charges under IPC Sections 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly), 144, unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence/giving false information) read along with 149 (unlawful assembly) and Section 27 of the Arms Act.
