Salman Khan lawyer claims he is getting threat calls to drop the case

A Jodhpur court had on Thursday found Salman guilty under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act while acquitted all other actors accused in the case.

JODHPUR: Just before the bail hearing for actor Salman Khan began on Friday, his lawyer has claimed that he has been getting threat messages asking him to drop the case. "Yesterday I got threatening SMSes and internet calls warning me not to appear for Salman Khan in bail hearing today," Salman's lawyer Mahesh Bora said on Friday.

He claimed in the messages that he received, it was written that if he does not drop the case, he will be shot at. "Salman Khan ka case ko chodh dijiye, warna goli maarenge (Drop the case or we will shoot you)," Salman's lawyer claimed outside the Jodhpur Sessions court.

The bail order for Salman Khan has been reserved till Saturday and the actor have to spend another night in the Jodhpur Central jail. Matter related to Salman's bail was listed at number 24th in the Jodhpur court. Salman's counsels argued in court on the ground that the witness in the case is not reliable. The actor was brought to court from the Jodhpur Central jail just before the hearing began. Along with Salman, his sisters Alvira and Arpita and brother Arbaaz and Sohail were also present for the hearing.

A Jodhpur court had on Thursday found Salman guilty under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act while acquitted all other accused actors - Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre in the case. The Bollywood superstar was sentenced to five years in jail and fined Rs 10,000.

Salman was visibly emotional after the verdict was announced and was seen hugging his two sisters. Scenes outside the Jodhpur court though showed mixed emotions with fans reiterating their support for him while close to a hundred members of Bishnoi community - who rever blackbucks - celebrated.

Salman and the other Bollywood stars had been accused of poaching two blackbucks - an endangered animal - in Bhagoda ki Dhani in Kankani village near Jodhpur on October 2, 1998, during the shooting of the movie 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. Public Prosecutor Bhawani Singh Bhati had said that all of them were in a Gypsy car that night, with Salman in the driving seat. He also said that when Salman spotted a herd of black bucks, he shot at and killed two of them.