Salman Khan once spoke about his encounter with a herd of blackbucks, related to the 1998 poaching accusations in a Rajasthan village while filming 'Hum Saath-Saath Hain'. Co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, and Sonali Bendre were also part of the shoot. The accusations led to a lengthy 26-year legal battle, during which Salman was arrested, released on bail, acquitted, convicted, and later released on bail again.
Throughout the case, Salman gave interviews to share his side, and in one with Sonia Singh on NDTV in 2009, he acknowledged crossing paths with blackbucks.
What Salman Khan said about the blackbuck incident
Salman explained that he only fed the blackbuck and recounted the events that led to the case. “I think this is where it has come from. One day after pack-up, we were driving by—there was Saif, Tabu, Neelam, Amrita, Sonali—and we saw a deer fawn stuck in a bush,” he said.
Salman continued, “The whole herd was there, so I stopped the car, and the fawn was petrified. We got him out, gave him water, and he was scared. After a while, he ate a few biscuits and went away. We packed up early that day, and we were all leaving together. I think from there, this whole thing started.”
While Salman was convicted, co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu, and Neelam Kothari were acquitted due to the benefit of doubt.
Since then, Salman has received death threats from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang members. Starting in 2022, threats have continued, and earlier this year, gunshots were fired outside his Mumbai home. More recently, after the murder of his friend, political leader Baba Siddique, for which Bishnoi's gang claimed responsibility, Salman received further threats. He has since been provided with increased security.