No way out!

Kamla Bora in Jaipur

Actor Salman Khan, facing charges of poaching protected wild animals, failed to appear before a local court in Jodhpur on March 15.

Hearing in two of the four cases, registered against him in 1998, was listed for the day in the court of the chief judicial magistrate but Salman failed to keep the date.

Instead, his lawyer Hastimal Saraswat, moved an application before the court's presiding officer Prabodh Vashishtha, seeking grant of absence from attendance.

Saraswat pleaded that the actor was currently busy in a film shooting in New Delhi, for which he had contracted a long time back.

A co-accused in the case, comedian Satish Shah, also failed to attend the court hearing.

Saraswat, who also appeared on behalf of Shah, told the court that his client could not make it to Jodhpur due to some heart trouble.

The court had framed charges in the two cases in January this year and March 15 was the first date for regular hearing.

The court later adjourned the cases for next hearing on April 13.

Salman Khan is the main accused in the poaching cases registered by the forest department and the police in September and October in 1998. The other accused are Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam.

The stars are facing charges of shooting Black Bucks and Chinkaras in forest areas of Jodhpur district. They were taken into custody and released on bail in October 1998 in Jodhpur.

While others were released on bail immediately on their arrest, Salman Khan had to remain behind bars for a week before getting bail in different cases, including possessing and using illegal weapons.

The artists indulged in poaching while shooting for Rajshree Production's Sooraj Barjatya film Hum Saath Saath Hai in and around Jodhpur city.