The Jodhpur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court today (May 20, 2019) issued fresh notices to actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam Kothari and Tabu in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.
Justice Manoj Garg issued notices to the actors on an appeal filed by the Rajasthan government against an order passed by a Chief Judicial Magistrate on April 5, 2018, acquitting the actors.
The court also issued notice to Dushyant Singh who was allegedly accompanying the actors when the incident took place.
The case has been listed for hearing after eight weeks.
Earlier on March 11, 2019, the High Court had issued notices to the five respondents on the state government's appeal challenging their acquittal in the case.
While the CJM court had acquitted the five respondents, it had convicted Bollywood star Salman Khan under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and awarded him five-year prison term along with a fine of Rs 10,000 after being found guilty of killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur during the shooting of his 1998 blockbuster 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.
Currently, Salman Khan is on bail and his appeal is pending before the High Court.
The Trial Court had acquitted his co-stars -- Saif, Sonali, Neelam and Tabu, besides Dushyant Singh due to lack of evidence.
