Additional Sessions Judge V K Deshpande also extended the interim order directing the police not to arrest Khan till tomorrow, after pulling up the Forests Department for failing to produce the original documents pertaining to the case.

Khan had moved the Sessions Court after officials of the Alibaug Forests Department seized one blackbuck, two spotted deer and a peahen from his farmhouse at Panvel on October 15, 1998.

Khan's advocate Shyam Keswani told the court that the Forests Department was aware that his client had kept the animals at his farmhouse as the department had seized the bungalow 15 months ago. He said Salim was also allowed to visit the farmhouse once a week for three hours to clean it following the directions of the Bombay High Court. ``Why didn't the department seize the animals then,'' he asked.

Moreover, sincethe farmhouse had been attached by the authorities, the animals too were in the department's custody and were therefore not seized from his client's custody, Keswani pointed out. Also, Salim had not been called for interrogation even once since the raid despite being available. Why do the police want to interrogate him now, he asked the court.

He said the Sessions Court has the jurisdiction to hear the case. However, in the event that the court feels it does not since the offence was committed outside its jurisdiction, the court can protect his client till he moves the appropriate court.

Special Public Prosecutor R N Mishra, however, countered that the court does not have the jurisdiction to pass orders in this particular case. He said keeping wild animals without the government's permission and without a licence is a punishable offence with a minimum one year and a maximum six years incarceration. Since Salim has admitted to having kept the animals, his custody is absolutely essential since thedepartment would like to know from where the animals were obtained as this would prevent further poaching.

Salim told the media outside the court's premises that he is being made a scapegoat and that the forest authorities were aware that he had the animals at his farmhouse. ``The manner in which the animals were handled by the authorities was terrible and despite their contention that the blackbuck which later died was quite sick, all the four legs of the animal were tied up,'' he said. The animals, which he had been tending to since several years, were safe and healthy under his care, he added.