It was a as dilogue right out of a Bollywood movie script. This was the reply given by Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who appeared before a Jodhpur court on Wednesday in the 1998 blackbuck case. He was left perplexed when the judge asked him what his caste was.
A visibly hassled Salman gave a puzzled look to the judge for a few seconds before telling her that he is both “a Hindu and a Muslim”.
Clarifying his statement, the actor said his father was a Muslim and mother a Hindu.
According to the media reports, the actor answered everything about his name, his father's name and his mother's name, but got confused when the court enquired about his caste.
Salman, while pleading innocence in the Arms Act case filed against him, alleged that he was implicated at the behest of forest officials.
When the judge asked him if he wanted to put up his defence, Salman replied in the affirmative and told the court that he wanted to produce defence witnesses, the actor’s counsel Hasti Mal Saraswat told Mail Today.
The court posted the case for May 4.
During earlier hearings, Salman’s lawyers argued that he had applied for a renewal of licence for the weapons almost as soon as it expired and so did not possess them illegally.
If he is found guilty, Salman may be sentenced to three-to-seven years in jail. But he can secure bail.