The social media world was abuzz with reactions to Salman Khan's acquittal in two poaching cases, with many commenting on how the judgment makes a "mockery of Indian judicial system" and others who joked how the "deer must have robbed the gun and then committed suicide".
The Rajasthan High Court on Monday acquitted Salman Khan in two 18-year-old chinkara poaching cases. Salman had appealed to the Jodhpur bench of the high court against a lower court verdict in 2006 handing him a one-year and five-year terms in the two separate cases of poaching.
As soon as the news of his acquittal broke on Monday, there was frenzy in the virtual world with several social media users questioning the move. Some even delved on Salman's other infamous 2002 hit-and-run case.
"Now that Salman Khan is free from all the charges, he can shut the Being Human NGO down," commented one user. Another tweeted: "Don't tell me it was bhai's driver again!"
There were more such messages: "On the positive side...now that he is acquitted....Salman Khan will stop making and wearing those ugly being human T-shirts"; that "His acquittal is nothing but a small portion of preparations required for him to settle down. A mockery to Indian judicial system".
Some angry social media users condemned the judgment as "shameless".
"In India, law is only for poor. But more bad thing is that people like such personalities," wrote one user.
Other comments were: "Nothing new, it's just the Indian judiciary acting like Indian judiciary", "Salman Khan is the real ambassador of technological development in India. Driver-less cars, Self-firing guns", "Though I like Salman Khan this is a sad day for our judicial system... everyone seems blindfolded to the verdict".
Salman and the state government had appealed before the high court challenging the lower court's verdicts on various grounds. On Monday, Justice Nirmaljit Kaur while allowing Salman's appeal, acquitted him of all charges and also dismissed the state government appeal for enhancing the sentences.
The hearing was completed in the last week of May and the order reserved. Salman was accused of killing chinkaras in two separate incidents.
One animal was said to have been killed at Bhawad on the outskirts of Jodhpur on September 26, 1998, and the other at Ghoda Farms on September 28, 1998. He was shooting for the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain" at that time.
Salman was earlier lodged in the Jodhpur jail over the cases.
Salman's sister Alvira was present in the jampacked court room when the judgement was pronounced on Monday, but no official comment has been released from the actor's side.
--IANS
sug/rb/vt
