A Jodhpur court on Monday said it will rule on actor Salman Khan's appeal against a five-year prison term given to him in a poaching case on August 24.
Following the completion of arguments on the appeal filed by Salman, District and Sessions Judge Kamal Raj Singhvi said the court would pronounce its verdict on August 24.
Public Prosecutor Pokar Ram Vishnoi strongly protested Salman's counsel's arguments regarding improper use of various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act against the actor.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Brijendra Kumar Jain had on April 10 2006 convicted Salman for poaching an endangered blackbuck and given him a five-year prison term.
The court also fined him Rs 25,000. Salman has filed the appeal against the verdict.
After failing to appear in Judge Singhvi's court on several occasions, the star appeared in the court on Tuesday.
Replying the objections raised by the advocates of Salman that prosecution did not complied the proceedings like complaining before the competent authority in such case and filing of FIR directly with the police station, Vishnoi contended that there were several other sections of the IPC against the accused when the FIR was filed and that was the right manner.
The prosecution told the court that proceeding was completed in the right manner and there was no question of improper proceeding under the Act.
He contended that the entire case was argued before the lower court and need no interference any more.
A tense-looking Salman was present in the court for the second consecutive day to hear the two-hour-long arguments by the prosecution.
On the question of key witness Harish Dulani absconding for four years, the public prosecutor said the witness was available for cross-examination and the defence side (Salman) did not avail the opportunity.
After completion of Vishnoi's arguments, Salman's counsel S R Bazwa and H M Saraswat presented a reply on the arguments of the prosecution.
After hearing both the sides, Judge Singvi said that he would pronounce the order on the appeal on August 24. He also told Salman to be present on that day.
The case relates to the poaching of a blackbuck at Ujiyala Bhakhar near Ghoda Farm on September 28, 1998 during the shoot of Hindi feature film Hum Saath Saath Hain.
Salman has also been sentenced to one-year imprisonment in another poaching case of Bhawad and has filed an appeal against that decision also. But the hearing could not begin as the record is pending with the Rajasthan high court where the state government filed an appeal for enhancement of the sentence.
Actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam are co-accused in a poaching case in Kankani.
