Will Salman Go to Jail? : Salman Khan’s Fate Hangs as Rajasthan High Court Sets Hearing for 26-Year-Old Case

Jodhpur (The Uttam Hindu): In a major development in the 26-year-old blackbuck poaching case involving Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, the Rajasthan High Court on Monday scheduled the next hearing for September 22. The hearing pertains to the appeal filed by Salman Khan against the five-year sentence handed to him by the lower court.

In a significant move, the court will also simultaneously hear the state government’s appeal challenging the acquittal of co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, and Neelam. The hearing will take place in the courtroom of Justice Manoj Kumar Garg.

Previously, Salman Khan’s appeal was pending in the district and sessions court, while the state's appeal against the acquittal of other actors was already with the High Court. Salman’s legal team had requested the transfer of his appeal to the High Court, which was accepted—leading to both appeals being clubbed for joint hearing.

The case dates back to 1998, during the shooting of the Bollywood film "Hum Saath Saath Hain" in Jodhpur. It is alleged that Salman Khan hunted two blackbucks in Kankani village. After a long trial, the court found Salman guilty on April 5, 2018, and sentenced him to five years in prison.

However, co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, Neelam, and a local resident Dushyant Singh were acquitted due to lack of evidence. While Salman appealed his conviction, the Rajasthan government challenged the acquittal of the other accused in the High Court. Now, all eyes are on the crucial September 22 hearing to see which direction the long-standing case will take.