Blackbuck poaching case: Salman Khan leaves Jodhpur court, next hearing on Jul 17

Jodhpur: A Jodhpur court on Monday set July 17 as the next date to hear Salman Khan's application challenging the trial court order sentencing him to a five-year jail term in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. Minutes after Salman Khan appeared before the court, he left with the court fixing the next date of hearing in July.

The Bollywood actor arrived in Jodhpur on Sunday for hearing of his application. The application was listed for hearing on Monday before Jodhpur District and Sessions Judge Chandra Kumar Songara, the actor's counsel Nishant Bora said. Khan's sisters Arpita and Alvira were present inside the court by his side. On April 5, the actor was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment after being found guilty of killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur during the shooting of his 1998 movie 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. He was later granted bail after spending two nights in Jodhpur Central jail.

Salman Khan was granted bail on a Rs 50,000 bond and the same amount as surety. Salman's 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Tabu and Sonali Bendre, and Jodhpur resident Dushyant Singh - were all acquitted due to lack of evidence. The court last month granted permission to 52-year-old Bollywood actor Salman Khan to travel abroad for shooting of his upcoming film. Khan is scheduled to shoot in Canada, Nepal, and the United States from May 25 to July 10 this year. Salman Khan was convicted of the same crime in 2006, but the sentence was suspended a year later and the charges re-laid in 2008.