A Jodhpur Court on Thursday (April 5) convicted Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the blackbuck poaching case and awarded him 5 years jail term. A fine of Rs 10,000 has also been levied on the actor.
Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam, who were the co-accused in the case, have been acquitted. Khan and other actors were accused of poaching blackbucks on the midnight of October 1-2, 1998 during the filming of the Hindi movie Hum Saath Saath Hain.
Had the jail term been below 3 years, Salman would have been eligible for bail by Sessions Court. But now he would have to approach the High Court for bail. So, in all probability, Salman will have to spend a this night in jail.
Salman Khan will first be taken to the Mahatama Gandhi Hospital in Jodhpur for a medical examination. After the medical examination, he will be taken to the Central Jail in Jodhpur. Vikram Singh, the DIG (Prisons), has said that preparations have already been made for Salman Khan’s stay in prison. There will be high security and the food served to him will be the same as what is given to other prisoners, Singh further said.
What is the case against Salman Khan about?
This is the fourth case filed against the actor in connection with poaching animals during the filming of the 1998 movie Hum Saath Saath Hain. He has been acquitted in three of them.
In 2006, a trial court convicted the actor in two cases of poaching and sentenced him to five years in prison. The Rajasthan high court suspended the sentence the following year, and eventually acquitted him in 2016.
The state government has appealed against that order in the Supreme Court.
The original poaching case against him was filed by the local Bishnoi community, who revere and worship the blackbuck.
 convicted Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the blackbuck poaching case and awarded him 5 years jail term. A fine of Rs 10,000 has also been levied on the actor.){kind=link}