Blackbuck case: Fresh charges against Saif, 3 others

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Fresh charges were today read out against actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam by a court here in the 14-year-old blackbuck poaching case.

Chief judicial magistrate Chandrakala Jain read out the charges under sections 9/51 and 9/52 of Wildlife protection Act and 149 of IPC and posted the case for next hearing on April 27.

The actors denied the charges read out to them by the judge. Salman Khan was also supposed to appear in the court but failed to do so. The high court had revised the charges against the actors in December 2012, charging Salman Khan with section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act and others including a local accused Dushyant Singh with section 51/52 of Wildlife Protection Act and section 149 of IPC.

They are accused of poaching two Blackbucks in the intervening night of October 1 and 2, 1998 in Kankani village near Jodhpur during the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Blackbuck is a protected animal and hunting or poaching of the same is a punishable offence under law.