Chinkara case: Salmans bail plea rejected

Rejecting Bollywood actor Salman Khans bail plea in connection with the Chinkara case, the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court today issued arrest warrant against him.

Jodhpur, Aug 24 : Rejecting Bollywood actor Salman Khan's bail plea in connection with the Chinkara case, the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court today issued arrest warrant against him.

Salman, who did not appear before the court, had filed its bail plea against a five-year jail term handed to him by a lower court last year for poaching a Chinkara during the shooting of a film.

However, Salman's sister Alvira Khan was present in court

Now, Salman will have to surrender in court and will be sent to jail. But, still some hope is still left as the actor can appeal against conviction in a higher court in Rajasthan.

Reacting to the court's verdict, a lawyer representing the Bishnoi community, Mahipal Bishnoi, said: "Salman knew very well that he would be jailed. Which is why, he did not come to court. The judge said his presence or absence did not matter since it was judgement time. Now, Salman Khan will be arrested wherever he is or he could come and surrender himself."

Thanking the media and residents for their support, Bishnoi said that actor has no option but to surrender before the court

On April 10, 2006, Chief Judicial Magistrate had convicted Salman and sentenced him to five years imprisonment. The court also imposed Rs 25,000 as fine.

After his conviction by a lower court, Salman had to stay in the Jodhpur jail for four days.

During the shooting of the movie "Hum Saath Saath Hain" in 1998, Salman and others poached two Chinkaras at Ujiyala Bhakhar near Ghoda Farm.

Six others accused in the case, Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Satish Shah, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari, have been acquitted.

The actor has also been sentenced to a year's imprisonment in another poaching case of Bhawad and has appealed against it as well.

The hearing in that case has not begun as the case is pending with the Rajasthan High Court where the State Government has filed an appeal for enhancement of the sentence.

The actor has been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act.

ANI