Salim Khan denies Salman's involvement in blackbuck poaching case

Veteran film writer Salim Khan, the father of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, denied his son’s involvement in the blackbuck poaching case after gangster Lawrence Bishnoi issued new threats.

A day after the fresh threat to his son Salman Khan, purportedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Salim Khan has now denied the ‘Tiger 3’ star’s involvement in the blackbuck poaching case of 1998.

Speaking to an Indian news channel, the veteran got emotional over the new threats to Salman, and with tears in his eyes, told the host, “Puchlijie fir mauka mile na mile (Ask whatever you want if we don’t get a good opportunity in future).” He maintained that Salman has not even harmed a cockroach ever, let alone a blackbuck; because the latter loves animals.

“Salman Khan jaanwaro se bohut pyaar karta hai. Uske paas ek kutta tha, jabtak woh zinda tha tab tak use acche se rakha. Aur jab woh bimaar hua aur mara hai toh Salman roya (Salman Khan loves animals. He had a dog whom he loved and treated well. When he fell ill and died, Salman cried),” said his father.

Further speaking about the Blackbuck case, Salim Khan continued, “Maine usse pucha ki kisne kiya. Toh bola ki, ‘Main toh tha bhi nahi’ (When I asked him who had done it? He said, ‘I wasn’t even there’).”

“Woh mujhse jhooth nahi bolega. Usko nahi hai shaukh jaanwaro ko maarne ka. Jaanwaro se mohabbat karta hai woh (He won’t lie to me. He doesn’t fancy killing animals. he loves animals),” he added and shared that their family has never used a gun.

When asked if Salman would apologize to the Bishnoi community, as demanded by them, visiting their biggest temple in Rajasthan, Salim replied, “Yeh accept karna hai ki, ‘Maine mara hai’. Mara hi nahi hai. Maine kisi jaanwar ko nahi mara, Salman ne kisi jaanwar ko nahi mara. Humne kabhi kisi cockroach ko bhi nahi mara hai. Hum inn cheezo mein vishwas nahi karte (Apologising means him accepting, ‘I’ve done it’. He hasn’t killed, I haven’t killed any animal, nor has Salman. We have never even killed a cockroach. We don’t believe in these).”

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For the unversed, Salman Khan is accused of illegal hunting and killing of two blackbucks in Jodhpur, Rajasthan during the shooting of his film ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ in 1998.

The event sparked widespread outrage, particularly from the Bishnoi community, for the sacred significance that blackbucks hold for them. Since then, Khan has received multiple life threats and lawyer-turned-gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was barely 5 at the time of the incident, has openly admitted to plans to eliminate the actor for revenge.

Earlier this year, Khan was also attacked by the same gang, when two bike-borne assailants fired five rounds of gunshots outside his residence in Galaxy Apartment of Bandra, Mumbai, out of which one bullet landed on his balcony.

Hours after the shocking event, Bishnoi’s brother Anmol claimed responsibility for the firing incident in a purported social media post.