Arms Act case: Salman Khan appears in Jodhpur court, next hearing on October 5

Pic courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Friday made an appearance in Jodhpur Sessions Court in connection with illegal arms act case. However, next hearing in the case will be held on October 5 this year.

The court had summoned him while hearing an appeal by the state government challenging his acquittal by the trial court in the case.

"The court had summoned him to sign the bail bonds. He signed them today and now the hearing on the state's appeal will begin from October 5," Khan's counsel H M Saraswat said.

Khan arrived by a chartered flight at Jodhpur Civil Airport at 12.30 pm and headed straight for the court to sign the bail bonds. He was in the court room for about five minutes and then left for the airport.

He had to appear in the court on July 6 for verification of bail bonds of Rs 20,000 submitted by him in the case but due to security reasons he sought an exemption from appearance after which the hearing was adjourned till today.

The 51-year-old star was charged in October 1998, with possessing an unlicensed .22 rifle and a .32 revolver and using them to poach two black bucks at Jodhpur's Kankani village.

Although he was acquitted by chief judicial magistrate's court due to insufficient evidence on January 18, the prosecution appealed against the decision and the appeal was scheduled for hearing on Friday.

During the shooting of Sooraj Barjatya's movie, 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' in 1998, Salman allegedly went on a shooting expedition along with actors Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Sonali Bendre and Tabu, killing two blackbucks in Kankani village.

Following protests by the local Bishnoi community, a case was later filed against Salman and the other actors.

(With agency inputs)