Blackbuck poaching case: Salman Khan to appear in Court proceedings through video conferencing

Jodhpur: Actor Salman Khan had moved the Rajasthan High Court on Thursday seeking exemption from a sessions court direction for him to appear in person for the hearing on appeals in the blackbuck poaching case and sought permission to appear in the proceedings virtually from Mumbai itself.

The actor has been granted the permission by the Rajasthan high court to appear for the hearing via video conferencing. The district and sessions court is slated to hear the case on February 6.

It may be noted that the hearing in the case by the district and sessions judge is for two appeals, one by the Bollywood star challenging his five-year sentence by a trial court in a case of poaching two blackbucks and another by the Rajasthan government challenging the acquittal of co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and a local person Dushyant Singh.

Following 17 exemptions during the hearing, the session judge had ordered Khan to appear in court in person on the next hearing scheduled on February 6 for hearing of the appeals,” his counsel H M Saraswat said.

We moved the High Court with a prayer that he be permitted to appear via video conferencing from Mumbai, said Saraswat.

Citing the pandemic situation, the actor’s lawyer said Khan had witnessed huge crowds whenever he has appeared in court and that such gatherings are not warranted during these times.

The petition further stated that it was not only an issue of his own security but the law and order situation is also to be considered.