Salman Khan and Harish Dulani: The twists and turns in the black buck killing script

Two days after Rajasthan High Court acquitted Salman Khan in an 18-year-old case of killing protected antelopes or chinkara, the prime witness revealed that the actor killed the chinkara.

Mumbai, July 28: In the climax of Salman Khan’s recent blockbuster Sultan there is a scene when the actor comes back to life after being beaten black and blue by his opponent. Needless to say, Khan hits the opponent his trademark shot and wins. Alas, reel and real life are different and Salman must have realised this when the prime witness in the black buck case resurfaced two days after Rajasthan High Court acquitted the bollywood actor.

Rajasthan High Court acquitted Salman Khan in an 18-year-old case of killing protected antelopes or chinkara, the prime witness Harish Dulani revealed that the actor killed the chinkara. Dulani, who allegedly drove Salman Khan to the place where the chinkara was killed, claimed that he saw the actor shooting the black buck.

Harish Dulani is one of the prime witness in the chinkara killing case. Harish, who had been missing since 2002, came out of hiding after Salman Khan’s acquittal and said that he would still stick to the statement he made before a magistrate 18 years ago. According to Harish, Salman Khan was not only driving the gypsy but also shooting the deer at the same time. (ALSO READ: Salman Khan thanks fans for their prayers after chinkara verdict)

Since Dulani had gone missing, his statement could not be cross-examined by the defence lawyer, which eventually weakened the prosecution’s case against Salman Khan. “I am not an absconder. My father received threats, I got scared and left home. If I had police protection, I could have given a statement. That was what I always intended,” Harish said while speaking with NDTV.

What next for Salman Khan? Harish Dulani said that he is ready to go to the court if provided protection and testify in a third case that is yet to be decided – the alleged poaching of endangered blackbuck. If the prosecution appealed in the Supreme Court against the High Court verdict and Harish appears before the court, then Salman Khan would be in big trouble. “We will explore legal option and appeal against the verdict in Supreme Court too,” said Rajendra Rathod, Rajasthan Law Minister.

Two separate cases were registered against Salman under section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act for poaching of two chinkaras in village Bhawad on September 26-27, 1998 and one chinkara in Mathania (Ghoda Farm) on September 28-29, 1998.