Khan stays out of the limelight for prison appeal hearing

Jodhpur: Indian movie star Salman Khan managed to avoid the spotlight when he returned to court over his five-year jail sentence for killing endangered wildlife.

Khan, one of the world’s highest-paid actors, was convicted in April of shooting dead two rare antelopes, known as black bucks, on a hunting trip while filming a movie in October 1998.

The Bollywood icon, 52, complied with his bail terms by appearing at a hearing early yesterday morning in Jodhpur in the western state of Rajasthan.

He slipped into court at around 8am, catching Indian media off guard. Court sessions generally start much later in India.

Judge Chandra Kumar Songara quickly adjourned proceedings after Khan’s defence team requested more time to prepare its appeal.

“We will begin arguments on the appeal against the five-year sentence from July 17,” said defence counsel Mahesh Bora.

The prosecution said it would oppose the appeal bid and was ready to present its case.

Four other actors were acquitted at last month’s hearings, and Khan spent two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail before being released on bail and returning to Mumbai, the home of India’s multi-billion dollar Hindi film industry.

Khan has repeatedly denied killing the creatures and accuses Rajasthan’s forest department of trying to frame him.

His lawyers have claimed that the black bucks died of natural causes such as overeating, insisting there was no evidence they were shot. — AFP