The Rajasthan government on Tuesday filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court (SC) against the acquittal of Bollywood actor Salman Khan by the Rajasthan High Court (HC).  According to agency reports quoting Shiv Mangal Sharma, the additional advocate general of the Rajasthan government, the hearing is expected to come up some time after Diwali vacations.

In July this year, the Rajasthan HC acquitted Khan in two cases of chinkara (black buck) poaching citing lack of evidence. Two separate cases were registered against the actor under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act for poaching two chinkara, an endangered gazelle species in Bhawad village and one in Mathania in September 1998.

The move by the state government comes almost a year after the actor was cleared from all charges in a controversial hit-and-run case in the Bombay High Court. The court’s decision triggered an outrage, questioning whether the actors’ influence led to his acquittal.

Earlier this year, Rajasthan’s additional advocate General KL Thakur recommended the state government to appeal against the judgment by the HC in the apex court.