The Rajasthan government on Saturday said it will appeal before the Rajasthan High Court against the acquittals of actors Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre in the blackbuck poaching case, reported The Indian Express. The actors, along with Salman Khan, were accused of hunting the endangered blackbuck in Rajasthan’s Kankani village while shooting the film Hum Saath Saath Hain in 1998.
Earlier this year, a lower court had convicted Khan and sentenced him to five years in jail. He was subsequently granted bail. Last month, a Jodhpur court ruled that Khan will have to seek permission every time he travels abroad.
The state government will also appeal the acquittal of Jodhpur resident Dushyant Singh, Additional Advocate General SK Vyas told The Indian Express on Saturday.
The state government and the law department recently sanctioned the decision to appeal the acquittals, said Vyas. “After the verdict, the public prosecutor of the trial court had given his opinion to the law department whether an appeal should be filed,” he said. “The law department and the state government considered all the facts and they have given sanction for filing an appeal.”
The appeal will also seek to try a sixth person, Dinesh Gawre, as an accused, said Vyas. Gawre was charged in the case and has been missing for a long time.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!