Complacency or Conspiracy to Save Salman Khan in Chinkara Poaching Case?

Two days after actor Salman Khan's acquittal by the Rajasthan High Court in the Chinkara poaching case, the purportedly missing witness of actor Salman Khan's driver Harish Dulani has resurfaced.

Dulani, the key witness has claimed that he's been available to testify against the actor but fears for his safety.

Rajasthan government says it will challenge Salman’s acquittal in the Supreme Court and has also assured protection to Dulani if he seeks it.

The question Dulani's claims now raise is did the police and prosecution do enough to build a watertight case against Salman?

The dramatic reappearance of Harish Dulani the key witness in Jodhpur poaching cases now raises several questions.

Dulani was actor Salman Khan’s driver for a week in 1998 during the alleged poaching incidents and a key witness in the three endangered deer poaching cases against him, two of which he was acquitted in on Monday.

Dulani says he stands by his statement against Salman Khan recorded before the magistrate and has been available to be examined but he has been getting threats.

It was based on Dulani’s statement that the forest department got two Chinkara poaching cases and one blackbuck poaching case filed against Salman Khan and others during the shooting on Hum Saath Saath Hein in 1998.

Later however Dulani could not be examined and cross examined by defence in the Chinkara poaching case and the trial court went ahead and passed its verdict against Salman sentencing him to 5 year and 1 year jail term in two chinkara poaching cases.

While Dulani says he has been available, Salman’s counsel says there were multiple warrants issued over five years after March 2002 but he failed to appear before the court.

In 2006 in another dramatic appearance before the media just five says before the verdict sentencing Salman, Dulani went back on his earlier statement against the actor and said he did not see him poach the endangered deer.

This act invited proceedings against Dulani for going back and forth on his statement, for which he has been appearing.

Since Dulani was not examined and cross examined it made the case weak for prosecution as cited by the High Court judgement as a ground for Salman’s acquittal while also questioning if Dulani was an eyewitness in the first place.