Tests show chinkara was killed: Prosecution in Salman case

The prosecution on Thursday told the Rajasthan high court in the Salman Khan case that blood samples and hair strands collected by the forensic science laboratory team from two spots showed that the animal killed was an endangered chinkara.

Additional Advocate General KL Thakur told Justice Nirmaljit Kaur that the FSL team had collected samples of blood-soaked soil from Ujalia Bhakar where a chinkara was allegedly killed by the actor in 1998.

The team had also collected hair strands from Ghoda Farm in Mathania, around 40 kms of Jodhpur, where the carcass was allegedly cleaned, he said.

"The report of the FSL team clearly mentioned that blood samples and hair strands collected from both the places were of a chinkara, which substantiated the statements of both the prosecution witnesses, Harish Dulani and Goverdhan Singh, about Khan killing the Chinkara at Ujalia Bhakar and then, taking the carcass to the farmhouse for cleaning," Thakur contended, citing the FSL report.

Khan (50) has filed a revision petition in the HC against a five-year sentence awarded to him by the Sessions Court in the case. Thursday was the third successive day of the prosecution's arguments.

Citing the statements of the two witnesses, Thakur said that Dulani had shown the farmhouse to the investigators but could not identify the spot where the alleged poaching had occurred whereas, Goverdhan Singh had taken them to the spot as he was the one who had guided Khan and others to the spot on September 28-29, 1998 for sighting and alleged poaching of the animal.

Thakur argued that the trial court did not err in relying on the statements of Dulani which matched with the circumstantial evidence in the case right from the time of Khan leaving the hotel and coming back.

"Even the guns recovered from Khan's room matched the description of the same in the statements of Dulani which is a clear indication that Khan was the one, who had hunted down a chinkara on September 28-29, 1998 in Mathania," Thakur submitted.

The hearing on Thursday lasted for about an hour over the scheduled timing of the court after Justice Kaur insisted on completion of arguments.

The hearing, however, will continue on Friday when the prosecution is expected to conclude its arguments.

On Wednesday, the prosecution had submitted before the court that samples of tyre treads showed that Khan himself had driven the vehicle, a Maruti Gypsy, from Jodhpur to Ujalia Bhakar where the gazelle was killed.