The jail term of five years awarded to Salman Khan by a Lower Court in April 2006, has been upheld by the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court. However, the actor evaded immediate arrest, as he did not appear in the court. Ashok Kumar of Expressindia.com talks to leaders representing the Bishnoi dominated districts of Rajasthan.(Ram Narayan Bishnoi, BJP MLA from Phalodi, Jodhpur)It is a correct decision. Bishnoi community is very happy. The Prosecution provided such witnesses before the judicial magistrate that the case became stronger against Salman Khan. Though Khan will appeal for review in the HC but if the latter is not satisfied, the appeal will be rejected. In the case of poaching by common men, police arrival on the spot is always delayed and post mortem is not executed in time. It is because of these delays that the conviction is not possible. But since Salman was a celebrity, this case was taken seriously and pursued hotly. If Salman would not have been convicted it would have given a wrong message to the public because of his celebrity status. Our community is so cautious against poaching of animals that even if the sound of a bursting cracker is heard during Diwali, people run to the fields to catch the possible poachers. Poachers sometimes don’t even hesitate to kill people who try to stop them from poaching. Such poachers have faced life imprisonments too.Five years of sentence is not too much in wake of the crime committed. We should not forget that the crime committed is of killing a life. We feel that there is no difference between a man and an animal. If Salman would have been acquitted, the Bishnoi community would have lost heart. The community was vigilant in this case and came in huge numbers to pressurise the government. Our sentiments have got a great boost by Salman’s conviction and it is a great satisfaction for us. (Mangla Ram Chaudhary, INC MLA from Dungargarh, Bikaner)The punishment is OK. It will discourage other people from killing the protected species of animals. Common poachers are not apprehended usually and thus evade the law. Punishing Salman Khan will stop powerful people from killing the preserved Chinkaras. If the common poachers were dealt strictly in the past, Salman Khan would not have dared to kill the protected animal. I feel he was not aware, that he could be punished like this. Forest department people and the police more often than not work hand-in-glove with the poachers. In my constituency Bawarias poach animals but they are seldom punished. I feel in Salman’s case media pressure worked against him. (Smt Pratibha Singh, Independent MLA from Nawalgarh, Jhunjhunu)Salman has committed the crime and he has paid for it. The common poachers roam free, only if they escape the law. If Salman had not been caught by the Bishnoi community he would have also escaped. If the common poachers are roaming freely, it is because they have not been caught. Salman was caught by the law and hence could not escape. Bishnois caught him ‘red-handed’ and gathered strong evidence against him which finally convinced the courts. Courts derive their decision based on the facts. They do not take into account if the person is a celebrity or otherwise. Salman is a celebrity for us but not for the judiciary. We certainly welcome the decision as law abiding citizens of the country. If people who break the law escape without paying for it, how can we maintain the law and order in our land? (Ram Narayan Dudi, BJP MLA from Bilara, Jodhpur)Whatever judiciary has done is correct. We are against poaching .We don’t kill even birds in our villages, forget about animals. And, we are following this practice since the ‘imperial’ times.(Raj Kumar Rinwa, Independent MLA from Ratangarh, Churu)Whatever the competent court has done has done is correct. It does not matter if the culprit is the common man or a Super Star. Whoever commits the crime has to pay for it. It is very good that court has sentenced Salman after finding him guilty. The sentencing has nothing to do with the celebrity status of Salman. You can see that Sanjay Dutt who is also a celebrity, has been granted interim bail in the arms act case. Salman has been held guilty of killing the Chinkara, which is why he is being punished. Bishnoi’s don’t even allow cutting the sacred trees, then how can anybody kill an animal, especially in their area. We feel bad for Salman because he is big star but what can be done if he has been held guilty by the law.
