Blackbuck poaching case: SC issues notice to Salman Khan

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to filmstar Salman Khan on a plea by the Rajasthan government challenging the stay on his conviction and sentencing in a blackbuck hunting case.An apex court bench headed by Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya issued the notice as a petition by the Rajasthan government came up for hearing. Salman Khan was convicted in a blackbuck hunting case by a trial court in 2006.The 1998 case was resumed in July 2013 with prosecution witness claiming that he had seen the actor and his co-stars "driving after the blackbucks" and had tried to stop them along with another person. Prosecution witness Poonam Chand had given testimony against Khan in the case.[caption id="attachment_1510763" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Salman Khan in this file photo. AFP[/caption]There were 51 witnesses in the case of poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani area. The actor is accused of hunting and killing the endangered deer while shooting his film Hum Saath Saath Hain. Hehas been in jail twice in this case, once in 1998, and again in 2007.On 10 April 2006, Salman was handed a five-year jail term and remanded to Jodhpur jail. He was granted bail in October. In July 2012, Rajasthan High Court finalised the charges against Salman Khan and his other colleagues in the case.With inputs from IANS