Poaching case: Salman moves HC for re-examination of 5 witnesses

Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Tuesday moved the Rajasthan high Court to seek permission to call five prosecution witnesses for re-examination in the black bucks poaching case but the single bench refused to hear his petition, according to his counsel.

Justice Vijay Bishnoi, before whom the petition was listed, said the case should be "put up before another bench", said Salman's counsel H M Saraswat.

Salman moved the high court after rejection of his petitions to call five prosecution witnesses of the case including the then district magistrate Rajat Kumar Mishra and the investigating officer (ASP) Ashok Patni, first in the trial court and then in the session court on May 14.

"Now the Chief Justice will decide which court would hear this petition. Till than we would have to wait," Saraswat said.

The defence has already cross-examined these witnesses but wants to re-examine them in the changed circumstances after the court’s permission to the prosecution to call four new witnesses.

"The case had reached the stage of final verdict but suddenly four undecided applications, moved by the then public prosecutor in 2006, came up and partially allowing them, the court granted permission to the prosecution to call 4 new witnesses," Saraswat said.

The case pertains to alleged contravention of the Arms Act by using expired licence guns to allegedly poach black bucks in Jodhpur on October 1, 1998.