★ Black Buck case: Rajasthan court permits Salman Khan to leave country !

Anisha | November 12, 2013

Jaipur, Nov 12: Salman Khan breathes a sigh of relief as the Rajasthan court gives him the permission to travel abroad even as the Black Buck killing case is on.

Many countries have been denying visas to the actor who has the status of ‘convicted’ in crime.

But now, the Court has permitted the actor to travel out of country for films shoots and personal visits.

Two black Bucks had been allegedly killed by Salman and his co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and Tabbu at Kankani in Jodhpur on the intervening night of 1-2 October, 1998 during the shooting of the film “Hum Saath Saath Hain”.

The trial in the case had begun on July 6 this year. That time, Salman was denied the permission to leave the country.

One India

High Court stays Salman Khan’s conviction, paves way for his UK visa

In a relief to Salman Khan, the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday stayed the 2006 order of a lower court which had sentenced the actor to five years in jail for poaching, paving the way for him to apply for a British visa.

Under British immigration rules, any person convicted for more than four years is not eligible for a visa. Since the actor was convicted for five year, he was denied visa by the UK Embassy.

The passports of Indian convicts are stamped with the word “convict.”

The actor had approached the High Court seeking a stay on his conviction so that he could file a fresh application for a British visa.

Justice Nirmal Jeet Kaur stayed his 2006 conviction, saying Khan is now free to apply for visa for any country and this conviction order will not come into his way.

"We had moved an application in the High Court seeking a stay on his conviction order. After Khan’s visa for UK expired recently and he filed for a fresh visa, he was denied the same because of the conviction order," said his counsel Lekh Raj Mehta.

Blackbuck is a protected animal and its hunting is a punishable offence.

Khan was convicted and sentenced to 1-year and 5-year prison terms in separate cases of poaching of two Chinkaras at Bhawad and one Blackbuck at Ghoda Farm (Mathania) on the intervening night of 26-27 September, 1998 and 28-29 September, 1998 respectively.

Besides Khan, actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam were accused of poaching near Jodhpur during the shooting of the film ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’.

DNA India