The Jodhpur court on Saturday granted bail to actor Salman Khan. The actor was convicted in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case and sentenced to five years imprisonment on Thursday.
The remaining co-accused actors—Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu—were acquitted. Salman was convicted under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Salman was accused of killing two blackbucks in the Kankani village near Jodhpur in 1998 during the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain.
Salman, who had spent two nights in the Jodhpur Central Jail after his sentencing on Thursday, was granted bail on a bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of like amount, Defence counsel Mahesh Bora said. He said Salman is likely to be released this evening once the papers are ready and sent to jail authorities.
Earlier in the day, the judge heard the arguments of prosecution and defence which lasted for about an hour and pronounced the order at around 3 pm, a defence counsel said.
Khan's sisters—Alvira and Arpita—were present during the hearing. Many Bollywood celebrities had come out in support of Salman after he was convicted.
The Bishnoi Samaj, which had registered the complaint against Salman, have said it will approach the High Court against the verdict. The Bishnois consider the blackbuck to be the reincarnation of their religious Guru Bhagwan Jambeshwar also known as Jambaji.
-with inputs from agencies