Ahmedabad, April 11 (IANS) The Gujarat High Court Thursday stayed bailable arrest warrants against Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and four others for allegedly filming Chinkaras (a protected species) in his film Lagaan at Jam Kunaria village in Kutch in 2000. The court postponed the next hearing to April 25. The Bhuj court had issued bailable warrants against Aamir, his former wife Reena, film director Ashutosh Gowarikar, executive director Srinivas Rao and photographer Ashok Mehta March 27.

Aamir, who did not appear before the Bhuj court despite several notices sent to him, approached the Gujarat High Court pleading for a stay on the Bhuj court’s proceedings contending that no Chinkara had been used in his movie and the relevant scene that was shown was created using computer graphics.

Assistant Conservator of Forests J.R. Vyas had lodged a complaint last month with the Bhuj court against Khan for failing to appear before the authorities despite repeated notices being sent since August 2006. The court then issued bailable warrants against all the five, which was handed over to the Mumbai Police.

In his order, Justice Harsha Devani of the Gujarat High Court stayed the lower court proceedings and also the execution of the bailable arrest warrants against the five. The court issued notice to the state forest department and adjourned the hearing to April 25.