Bollywood superstar walks free in illegal arms case

NEW DELHI, India A court in the Indian state of Rajasthan acquitted Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in an illegal arms case on Wednesday, according to the actor’s lawyer. Chief Judicial Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpuroti in Jodhpur city gave Khan the “benefit of doubt” and quashed the case. “The prosecution has failed to provide conclusive evidence,” H.S. Saraswat, who is Khan’s lawyer, said. Khan was charged with possessing a pistol and a rifle without valid licenses in October 1998. The prosecution alleged he poached two black bucks in Rajasthan’s Kankani Village using illegal weapons. Out of the four cases against him, three were for killing black bucks and the fourth one was for possession of illegal arms and its misuse under the country’s arms act. Last year, Khan was acquitted of shooting and killing the endangered blackbucks. The actor thanked his fans following the verdict. "Thank you for all the support and good wishes," he tweeted. The Bollywood actor is not new to controversy. In 2015, Khan was acquitted in another case involving the killing of a homeless person sleeping on the pavement during a drunk-driving incident in Mumbai city in 2002.