Salman Khan sought exemption from appearing in court today and recording his statements in the Arms Act case stating health reasons. The actor was granted the exemption and asked to appear in court on 29 April and record his statement according to a India Today report.
According to an NDTV report, Khan’s lawyer told the court that the actor is suffering from ear-ache and hence he cannot travel. His sister Alvira however attended the hearing today.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Anupama Bijlani had previously asked his counsel to ensure Khan’s presence in the court today after the examination of four witnesses, associated with the FSL examination of the arms in question was completed.
The examination of the four prosecution witnesses, which had started on 13 April was completed on 17th and Khan was suppose to appear in the court on 23 April for recording of his statements.
These four witnesses had been allowed to be called by the court on 3 March, after it came up in the court that some pending applications moved by the then public prosecutor way back in 2006 were undecided.
The court, which was on the verge of pronouncing the judgment in the case, then refused to proceed in the case and on plea of the prosecution, had allowed to summon and examine these witnesses.
The Arms Act case is related to black buck poaching case, where Khan has been accused of killing the endangered ‘chinkaras’ during the shooting of his film ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’.
A case was filed against Khan by the forest officials under Arms Act on 15 October, 1998 because the licenses of his weapons were found to have been expired.
with inputs from PTI