The Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday has revived the charges filed against actor Salman Khan and colleagues - Saif Ali Khan, Tabbu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre – in 14 year old Black Buck killing case, where the actor has been accused of poaching and killing two Black Bucks.

The High Court disposed the plea of state government against a sessions court ordering them to drop some of the charges against the accused. The High Court maintained that Khan will be charged under Section 51 of Wildlife Act and Section 149 of the IPC (Unlawful assembly).

Section 51 of Wildlife Act carries jail sentence up to three years or fine or both.

The others - Saif Ali Khan, Tabbu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre - have been charged under section 52 (Attempts to contravene, or abet the contravention of, any of the provisions of this Act) of Wildlife Act and section 149 of IPC against others.

“After this decision of the high court, the trial will now commence in the lower court under Section 51 of Wildlife Act, and Section 149 of IPC against Salman Khan and under section 52 of Wildlife Act and section 149 of IPC against others,” said Saraswat, counsel for Salman Khan, to PTI.

The celebrities have been accused of poaching two Black Bucks during the nights of 1-2 October, 1988, in Kankani Village near Jodhpur during the shooting of their movie ‘Hum Saath Saath Hai’.

Other than this Salman Khan has also been convicted for 1 year and 5 years for poaching of two Chinkaras at Bhawad and one Black Buck at Ghoda Farm (Mathania) in the intervening nights of 26-27 September, 1998 and 28-29 September, 1998 respectively.

Government counsel Mahipal Bishnoi said that now all the accused will have to appear in the trial court to hear the revised charges and for resumption of the trial.