Salman's poaching case: Driver of safari jeep found, alleges family was threatened to keep mum

Salman acquitted in Chinkara case as the driver had disappeared.

Actor Salman Khan at Preity Zinta's wedding reception in Mumbai on Friday night. | PTI

• Salman Khan's driver, who reportedly went missing, has reappeared
• I couldn't go to the court as my family was threatened: Dulani
• Salman was accused of poaching a black buck and a chinkara in 1998

Key witness in the Salman Khan poaching case, the driver of the safari, who went missing enabling Khan's acquittal, has resurfaced.

Poaching case: How did Salman Khan get away? Rajasthan High Court acquits Salman Khan in poaching cases

Bringing a twist the much hyped acquittal of the Bollywood actor, the key witness, Harish Dulani, the driver of the jeep used by the actor and his co-stars while hunting a black buck and chinkara, has claimed his family was threatened.

"I am not an absconder. Had I got protection, I would have come forward", Harish Dulani was quoted as saying by NDTV. He added that the threats forced his family to move out of Jodhpur.

Seeking witness protection for him and his family through the channel, Dulani stated that if assured of his safety, he would record his statement before the court.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan who was accused of poaching a black buck and a chinkara in Rajasthan back in 1998, was recently acquitted in the case since the eye-witness had gone missing.

The blackbuck was allegedly killed at Bhawad village on the outskirts of Jodhpur on September 26, 1998, and the chinkara at Ghoda Farm on September 28, 1998. Salman, along with Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, and Sonali Bendre, had been shooting for the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain" in the area at the time.

The Rajasthan High Court overturned the verdict of two lower courts sentencing Salman to one and five years in prison.