Salman Khan Is Officially Going To Jail For Hunting Blackbuck In 1998

The Bollywood star has just been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the blackbuck poaching case.

UPDATE: Khan has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000.

Apr. 05, 2018, at 08:45 AM

On 5 April, Salman Khan was found guilty in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

Strdel / AFP / Getty Images

He was in Rajasthan in 1998 to shoot Hum Saath-Saath Hain when he was charged with four cases of poaching. His costars Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Tabu, and Sonali Bendre were also accused but were acquitted for lack of evidence.

Khan, who has been charged under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, may face six years’ imprisonment.

- / AFP / Getty Images

His lawyers are pleading for a lesser sentence. If he is sent to jail for less than three years, he can apply for bail.

The blackbuck is an endangered species and is protected under the Indian Wildlife Act.

Strdel / AFP / Getty Images

The poaching had taken place near a village of Bishnois, a community that reveres blackbuck and is passionate about protecting these animals. Some members of the community were among the 28 witnesses against Salman in the case.

In 2015, Salman Khan was acquitted in a 2002 hit-and-run case in which his vehicle had crashed into men sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai, killing one.