Salman Khan released from Jodhpur jail

Jodhpur, Aug 31: Four hours after Rajasthan High Court granted bail to Bollywood actor Salman Khan in connection with the 1998 Chinkara poaching case, the actor was released from the Jodhpur Central jail, where he was lodged for the past six days.

Salman was whisked away in a black car and was accompanied by his lawyer Dipesh Mehta.

Earlier in the day, the High Court bench of Justice H R Panwar granted him bail.

"The court has granted Salman bail by suspending the sentence. The court also directed him to give a personal bond of rupees one lakh along with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Jodhpur," said Mehta.

On Thursday, the hearing in the case was deferred after Justice Panwar demanded to see the entire case records.

Salman was taken into custody on August 25 after a Jodhpur court turned down his appeal against a lower court order.

Salman was convicted on April 10, 2006. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him.

The actor has been charged with poaching two Chinkaras at Ujiyala Bhakhar near Ghoda Farm.

Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Satish Shah, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari have been acquitted in the case.

Salman has also been sentenced to a year's imprisonment in another poaching case at Bhawad. He has appealed against this as well.

The case is pending before the Rajasthan High Court. The State Government has called for an enhancement of sentence.

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