Who really killed the black buck?

Photo Credits: pg 1- lead

On Monday, Bollywood star Salman Khan was found not guilty after being accused of killing endangered gazelles in Kankani village near Jodhpur in Rajasthan during the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain by the Rajasthan High Court bringing to a close an 18-year-long case dating back to 1998. This is the second major court win for Khan is less than a year.

In its verdict, the Rajasthan HC said that there was no evidence that the pellets found on the dead animals had been shot from Khan's licensed gun. The driver of the jeep that Khan and his co-stars were in, had also gone missing.

Khan had appealed against a lower court's verdict, which convicted and sentenced him to one year's prison term in the blackbuck case and five years of imprisonment in the chinkara case. The 50-year-old actor had spent only six days in a jail in Jodhpur in 2007, before being released on bail.

Khan still faces two cases of poaching blackbucks or Indian antelopes on the outskirts of the city of Jodhpur in 1998 and using unlicensed firearms. Like chinkaras, blackbucks are an endangered and protected species. The original case on the hunting of blackbucks was filed by Rajasthan's Bishnoi community, who worship blackbucks.

Fans of the movie heavyweight have hailed the court’s decision while others have reacted strongly. Many took to Twitter to express themselves in strong words.

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Last year, Khan was acquitted of all charges in a long-running hit-and-run case, in which he had been accused on running over a homeless man in 2002. The Maharashtra government has challenged the acquittal.

Caused an uproar after he said that the felt like a "raped woman" after gruelling film shoots for the movie Sultan where he plays a wrestler.

Salman and Shah Rukh Khan were involved in a fight at Salman's then girlfriend Katrina Kaif's birthday party in 2008. The two stars didn't speak to each other and were engaged in a cold war for many years. However, they have made peace now.

In 2008, some religious organisations issued a fatwa against Salman for celebrating Ganeshotsav at his residence.

Salman Khan faced flak for making statements in an interview to a Pakistani channel that the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were hyped because 'elite people' were targeted.

Salman Khan is infamous for his temper and has lost his cool time and again. He has slapped his fans for intruding into his privacy and slapped his bodyguard for misbehaving with his fans.

Bollywood star Salman Khan landed in the thick of another controversy when a Mumbai fisherman's family alleged that he had threatened them. The fisherman had alleged that Khan and his bodyguards asked them to shift their boats and fishing nets, since these blocked the sea view from the Bollywood star's Bandra West suburban residence.

I believe that a crime is a crime but my take on this is different. Salman Khan was not the only one on this hunting trip. It included other crew members as well, yet the canon was only aimed at Salman Khan since he is the only one capable of gathering eyeballs and attention to this case. It seems like sensationalism and exaggeration is the only way content can be created which is them categorised as news.

As a fan, I'm glad Salman was acquitted. But if there is proof, catch him.

Salman, the actor I think has evolved and is really brilliant. Salman, the kind hearted human has done wonders too. I'm just on the fence with Salman the driver or Salman the black buck poacher because honestly I don't have all the facts in its entirety or clarity. So this when you mix these three aspects that define him, I'm at a place where I probably just want my three hours of movie time well

utilized.

I want to desperately meet #SalmanKhan's lawyers. They ensure 100% customer satisfaction.

Kill innocent people and animals; joke about women's feelings. Salman Khan proves India is a free country. #salmanverdict

#SalmanKhan is the Indian James Bond with all the "Licence to Kill"