HIGHLIGHTS
Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu stand accused of poaching two endangered blackbucks while shooting for the movie ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ in 1998
If convicted, they may face minimum 1 year to a maximum of 6 years jail term

A Jodhpur court will today pronounce judgment in a 1998 poaching case in which Bollywood star Salman Khan and four other actors are accused of killing two blackbucks, an endangered species. Here’s all you need to know about the case:
* Salman Khan will be present in the Jodhpur Chief Judicial Magistrate Court today, awaiting verdict in the 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case.
* Apart from Salman, the other high-profile accused in the case are actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu. Also in the dock are travel agent Dushyant Singh and Dinesh Gawre, Salman’s assistant at the time. Gawre is on the run. The trial against the other six has been completed.
* While shooting for the movie ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ in 1998 in Rajasthan, Salman allegedly went on a shooting expedition along with Saif, Neelam, Bendre and Tabu, and is believed to have killed two blackbucks in Jodhpur’s Kankani village.
* Following protests by the local Bishnoi community, a case was filed against Salman and the other actors.
* Salman has been charged under section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act whereas the six other accused face charges under the same section but read with IPC section 149, which points to unlawful assembly.
* If convicted, the minimum sentence is one year in prison, and the maximum is six years.
* During a hearing in January 2017, Salman said the blackbuck died of “natural causes” and claimed that he was being “framed” by forest department officials.
* This is last of the three poaching cases against Salman from 1998 that is being heard at Jodhpur trial court. He was convicted in two poaching cases by trial court, only to be acquitted by the Rajasthan high court later.
* In January 2017, the ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ actor was acquitted on the grounds of “insufficient evidence” by a Jodhpur court in an Arms Act case, which pertained to possessing an unlicensed .22 rifle and a .32 revolver and using them to poach the two blackbucks at Kankani village.
* The prosecution has filed appeals against all these acquittals and the cases are pending at various stages in different courts.