Blackbuck poaching case: Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre acquitted

A Jodhpur court has convicted Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case, while other actors -Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam Kothari - have been acquitted.

The quantum of sentence will be announced shortly.

Salman Khan was accused of killing two blackbucks in Bhagoda ki Dhani in Kankani village near Jodhpur on the intervening night of October 1-2, 1998, during the shooting of Hum Saath Saath Hain.

He has been convicted under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, which carries maximum punishment of six years.

Salman Khan will be taken to Jodhpur Central Jail, which currently houses three high-profile inmates - Asaram Bapu, Malkhan Singh Vishnoi and Shambhu Lal. The latter two are accused in the Bawri Devi case and the Rajasthan hacking case, respectively.

Meanwhile, Bishnoi Sabha, which had filed the blackbuck poaching case, has now decided to appeal against the acquittal of the four co-accused in the case. Bishnois, a traditional community, is committed to protect the endangered animal and remains vigilant against poachers in the area.