Jodhpur: Actor and superstar Salman Khan was facing allegations of submission of a false affidavit regarding his arms license. However, Salman Khan had a major reprieve Thursday. A court here rejected the Rajasthan government’s plea against the actor and acquitted him of the charge.
District and Sessions Judge Raghvendra Kachhwal pronounced the order, which had been reserved after completion of the arguments February 9. Salman was present in the court through video conferencing. The matter is linked to a case against Salman under the Arms Act. In the case the actor had been accused of keeping arms with an expired license. It had been alleged that he used those for poaching.
Salman’s counsel HM Saraswat said, “We are happy that the court rejected the application of the state and absolved Salman of the allegation of false affidavit. There was not much substance in the matter. The allegation had been made against him just for the purpose of harassment.””
This is the second time that the actor has been freed from the allegation. Earlier, the court of the chief judicial magistrate had also absolved him of the charge, after which the state had challenged the decision in the district and sessions court. Salman had filed the affidavit in the court in 2003 stating that he had lost his arms license.
The prosecution had argued that he had submitted a false affidavit as his licence was not lost but submitted for renewal. “We argued that it was not intentional to submit this affidavit as Salman was a busy actor. He had no exact idea about his licence at that time,” Saraswat said. He argued that if the accused has submitted a false affidavit by mistake and he has no advantage of such an act, he should be forgiven and absolved from the allegations.
Saraswat also presented some citations from the apex court in support of his arguments wherein the accused had been absolved of allegations of the submission of false affidavits or evidence in the court after admitting the mistake and tendering an apology.
Though the public prosecutor contended that it was an act of misleading the court purposefully stating that Salman knew that his licence was not lost but Judge Kachhwal rejected his arguments and provided relief to Salman by absolving him of the allegation.
