On Thursday, the Jodhpur court has found Salman Khan guilty and sentenced him 5 years of imprisonment and Rs. 10,000 fine in a 20 years old case related to blackbuck poaching. Three cases of blackbuck poaching are filed in Jodhpur against Salman while one case is related to possessing arm of expired licence.
Hunting of wild animals is prohibited in India but Salman’s case become more serious as it is related to blackbuck.
Blackbuck comes under Near Threatened category:
Blackbuck comes under the category of Antilope cervicapra. It is also known as Indian antelope and is found in Indian sub-continent. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has kept blackbuck in the category of Near Threatened or NT in its Red List which means that it may get extinct in the near future.
Jail term from 3 to 7 years:
The Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972 provides for prohibition on hunting of blackbuck under schedule I. It also provides for jail term from 3 to 7 years.
Reason of reducing number of blackbuck:
Blackbuck is basically found in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Earlier it was found in Bangladesh also but now it has gone extinct over there and its condition is not very good either. The reason behind the reducing number of blackbuck is reduction in forest area and its excessive hunting.
The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was formulated to provide protection to the wild animals from getting killed, smuggling and illegal trade. In January 2003, amendments were made in order to make punishment tougher and increase the fine.
So now you know why Salman’s case has become so serious?