After Supreme Court upheld Sanjay Dutt's conviction in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case on Thursday, legal woes now haunt Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and four other actors.
A Jodhpur Court has revised charges against five Bollywood actors Salman, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre in a 14-year-old case of alleged poaching of blackbuck during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain".
Saif, Neelam, Tabu and Sonali have already arrived in court for the hearing of the case on Saturday. But Salman has sought exemption from appearing in Jodhpur court for medical reasons. The actor is currently in US for a health check-up. The judge read out the revised charges to his lawyer. The next date of hearing the case is set for 27 April.
The actors allegedly killed two blackbucks near Jodhpur during the shooting of "Hum Saath Saath Hain" in 1998.
Blackbuck has been classified as an endangered and protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Hunting or poaching of blackbuck is prohibited and punishable under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Last year in December, Rajasthan High Court revised the charges against these actors, charging Salman with Section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act (Any person who contravenes any provision of the act) and the other four stars, including a local accused Dushyant Singh, with Section 51/52 of Wildlife Protection Act and Section 149 of IPC.
In January, the SC refused to accept the Rajasthan government's plea that all the stars should also be tried for rioting in the poaching case, NDTV reported.
Salman has been convicted for 1-year and 5-year prison terms in a separate case of hunting two of Chinkaras at Bhawad village and one Black Buck at Mathania village in 1998.
