Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case LIVE updates: Salman Khan leaves Jodhpur Central Jail

 BusinessToday.In   New Delhi     Last Updated: April 7, 2018  | 17:57 IST
Salman Khan blackbuck poaching case LIVE updates: Salman Khan leaves Jodhpur Central Jail

Salman Khan has been granted bail by the Jodhpur Sessions Court on a surety of Rs 50,000. As the news broke, fans in Jodhpur, Mumbai and all across the country took to the streets to celebrate the verdict. However, this is not the end of the case for Khan. The next hearing will be on May 7 and the actor cannot leave the country without the court's permission. The Bishnoi community, the force behind this case has decided to appeal to Rajasthan High Court against the bail.

Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday after the Dabangg actor was convicted of killing two blackbucks in Rajasthan. Khan has been asked to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 in the 19-year-old case as well. However, Khan's co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam who were also accused were acquitted. Meanwhile, along with 87 other judges, Jodhpur Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi who was set to hear Khan's case today has been transferred and so is Dev Kumar Khatri, the judge who gave the 5-year sentence to the actor in the blackbuck poaching case. According to reports, this reshuffling of judges is usual practice but judges in Rajasthan are usually transferred between April 15 -30 every year. It is done as per recommendations of a committee set up by the Rajasthan High Court. There was a lot of speculation before the hearing that the actor might not get his bail today because of this reshuffle.

The Case

While filming for the Barjatya's multi-starrer, Salman Khan along with his co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam, along with a local, Dushyant Singh allegedly went on a hunting session and killed two of the endangered animals near Kankani village in Jodhpur. The Bishnoi community, who are known for their environmental activism was enraged by this incident and filed a case against the actors. Not only for poaching, Khan was also accused of keeping an arm with an expired arm licence. He was later acquitted of that account. Moreover, the actor was also accused of killing two chinkaras in Bhawad and one in Mathania. He was acquitted of those charges as well by the Rajasthan High Court.

Here are the LIVE updates of the bail plea hearing:

5:49pm: Salman Khan on his way home from Jodhpur.

5:44pm: Salman Khan leaves Jodhpur prison.

5:28pm: Relatives of Jodhpur Central Jail prisoners say police isn't letting them meet their relatives inside jail. "It's for the 1st time I'm unable to meet my husband," says a woman who has come to meet her husband in jail.

5:26pm: "Procedure at the jail premises is over. We are arranging security at the airport and security in transit. Once that is done, we will move him," said Amandeep Singh Kapoor, DCP (East) Jodhpur.

4:24pm: "So happy for the bail of my dear brother," says singer Adnan Sami.

4:14pm: "I am happy that he has got bail. After working with him so closely I have become a huge fan of him not only as an actor but also as a human being. Almost 90 percent of the shoot for 'Race 3' is over and the remaining portions will mostly be shot in India," says Remo D'Souza, director of Salman Khan's upcoming movie, Race 3.

4:02pm: "He has already been punished mentally for 20 years for his big mistakes n still waiting for justice (sic)," says filmmaker Subhash Ghai.

3:48pm: "Believe in the power of justice and the God above," tweets Neil Nitin Mukesh.

3:41pm: The road outside the Jodhpur prison has been strewn with rose petals by Salman Khan's fans.

3:38pm: According to India Today, the Bishnoi community will approach the Rajasthan High Court to appeal against bail granted to Salman Khan.

3:29pm: Fans of Salman Khan gather outside his residence in Mumbai and celebrate following Jodhpur Court's verdict in the blackbuck poaching case.

3:26pm: "He will have to submit two bonds of Rs 25 thousand each, he cannot leave the nation without the court's permission and will have to appear here again in person on May 7," said Mahipal Bishnoi, lawyer of the Bishnoi community.

3:22pm: Police is dispersing the crowd outside Jodhpur jail.

3:21pm: The next hearing has been scheduled for May 7. Meanwhile Salman Khan will not be allowed to leave the country without the court's permission.

3:10pm: Salman Khan fans celebrate outside Jodhpur court and Jodhpur jail.

3:08pm: "The bail order must reach the jail authorities only after that will Salman Khan be released today. The bail bond takes about 20 minutes to fill out. The verification process takes about an hour after which he can be released. He could be released at about 7.30 pm," said lawyer Bharat Bhusan Sharma.

3:00pm: Salman Khan has been granted bail on surety of Rs 50,000.

2:55pm: "You will come out a winner," says Sonu Sood.

2:22pm: The order is likely to be pronounced at 3pm. Earlier around noon, the court had said it would pronounce the order after lunch.

Also read: The atonement! How Salman Khan built Being Human to help thousands

1:45pm: "Salman is one guy who is ready to take the rap. He is ready to take the rap, the blame (on himself). He is human at the end of the day. Who doesn't make a mistake? I definitely make a mistake. But when he makes a mistake, it is blown out of proportion," says actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar to PTI.

1:42pm: Sonam Kapoor extends his support to the actor.

12:17pm: "Social work is not for show. Court will only see witness, prosecution and defence," says Lalit Bora, investigating officer of the case.

11:46am: "No mobile phones or selfies are allowed, no outside food is coming inside," said a jail official.

11:24am: Defence had argued for the bail, called the witness unreliable.

Also read: Can 'Brand Salman' survive the jail term?

11:10am: The hearing is over. The verdict will be pronounced post-lunch.

11:04am: Meanwhile, Prosecution has argued against the bail, citing witness accounts. 

10:51am: According to reports, the judge is currently hearing both sides before taking a decision.

10:46am: The actor, as of now, has spent two nights at the jail. The bail application was filed on Friday but the judge wanted a report from the lower case.

10:44am: Judge Ravindra Joshi, who is hearing the plea met CJM Dev Khatri who sentenced Salman Khan to jail before starting the case.

10:39am: District and Sessions court judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi arrives at Jodhpur Court.

10:38am: Eighty-seven judges in Rajasthan have been transferred under a routine shuffle, including Justice Joshi who was scheduled to hear the plea. But Justice Joshi did not recuse himself will be hearing the plea today.