<p>Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Friday skipped a hearing in a local court here in connection with the blackbuck poaching case that goes back two decades.</p>.<p>The sessions court granted him exemption from appearance for the day's hearing, following an application by his counsel saying that he is busy in a film shooting.</p>.<p>The court is hearing Khan's plea against the trial court's April 2018 verdict sentencing him to five years in prison.</p>.<p>In the last hearing on July 4, the sessions court had asked Khan to appear before it on September 27, failing which his bail plea may be cancelled.</p>.<p>"We moved an application in the court seeking exemption for Khan from personal appearance as he is busy in shooting and cannot appear in court," the actor's counsel, H M Saraswat, said, adding that the court granted the application.</p>.<p>Besides, the defense cited a death threat issued recently to Khan by a gangster as a ground for seeking exemption from personal appearance for him.</p>.<p>The defense argued that the actor's appearance may cause a law and order issue in the city as the police will have to make adequate arrangements for his security.</p>.<p>Objecting to the argument, the prosecution asked why no police complaint has been lodged by the defense if there is a real threat to Khan's life.</p>.<p>"It is just a gimmick," a prosecution counsel, Mahipal Bishnoi, said.</p>.<p>Khan's counsel also moved a fresh application seeking permanent exemption for him from personal appearance during the hearing of his appeal which began in May last year.</p>.<p>The prosecution objected to the appeal.</p>.<p>"We opposed the application and prayed for submission of our reply on this application," Bishnoi said.</p>.<p>The sessions court judge, however, allowed the application and listed the matter for hearing on December 19.</p>.<p>On April 5, 2018, Khan was sentenced to five years in prison for killing two blackbucks while he was on a night safari outside Jodhpur, on the sidelines of a film shoot.</p>.<p>However, the trial court had acquitted his Bollywood colleagues Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre and a local resident Dushyant Singh, giving them the benefit of doubt in the October 1998 incident.</p>.<p>The actors were in Rajasthan shooting for "Hum Saath Saath Hain".</p>.<p>Khan had spent two nights in the Jodhpur Central Jail before being granted bail. </p>
<p>Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Friday skipped a hearing in a local court here in connection with the blackbuck poaching case that goes back two decades.</p>.<p>The sessions court granted him exemption from appearance for the day's hearing, following an application by his counsel saying that he is busy in a film shooting.</p>.<p>The court is hearing Khan's plea against the trial court's April 2018 verdict sentencing him to five years in prison.</p>.<p>In the last hearing on July 4, the sessions court had asked Khan to appear before it on September 27, failing which his bail plea may be cancelled.</p>.<p>"We moved an application in the court seeking exemption for Khan from personal appearance as he is busy in shooting and cannot appear in court," the actor's counsel, H M Saraswat, said, adding that the court granted the application.</p>.<p>Besides, the defense cited a death threat issued recently to Khan by a gangster as a ground for seeking exemption from personal appearance for him.</p>.<p>The defense argued that the actor's appearance may cause a law and order issue in the city as the police will have to make adequate arrangements for his security.</p>.<p>Objecting to the argument, the prosecution asked why no police complaint has been lodged by the defense if there is a real threat to Khan's life.</p>.<p>"It is just a gimmick," a prosecution counsel, Mahipal Bishnoi, said.</p>.<p>Khan's counsel also moved a fresh application seeking permanent exemption for him from personal appearance during the hearing of his appeal which began in May last year.</p>.<p>The prosecution objected to the appeal.</p>.<p>"We opposed the application and prayed for submission of our reply on this application," Bishnoi said.</p>.<p>The sessions court judge, however, allowed the application and listed the matter for hearing on December 19.</p>.<p>On April 5, 2018, Khan was sentenced to five years in prison for killing two blackbucks while he was on a night safari outside Jodhpur, on the sidelines of a film shoot.</p>.<p>However, the trial court had acquitted his Bollywood colleagues Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre and a local resident Dushyant Singh, giving them the benefit of doubt in the October 1998 incident.</p>.<p>The actors were in Rajasthan shooting for "Hum Saath Saath Hain".</p>.<p>Khan had spent two nights in the Jodhpur Central Jail before being granted bail. </p>
