Salman Khan freed after spending two nights in jail

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan left prison yesterday after being granted bail so he can appeal against a five-year prison sentence for killing endangered wildlife two decades ago.

Hundreds of frenzied fans awaited Khan, 52, as his vehicle sped through the gates of Jodhpur Central Jail, where he had spent two nights after being sentenced on Thursday.

Some tried to cling on to the sides of his 4x4 and scores of motorbikes followed as he was driven to Jodhpur airport to a waiting chartered jet.

Swelling crowds, many of them men emulating Khan’s distinctive hairstyle and clothes, gathered outside his luxury Mumbai flat, dancing to songs from his films.

A judge granted Khan, one of the world’s highest-paid actors, bail of 50,000 rupees (Dh2,800). He cannot leave India without court permission.

Hordes of fans outside the court erupted in celebration on hearing the decision, beating drums and chanting his name.

Khan did not attend the bail hearing but prosecutor Mahipal Bishnoi said the actor must appear in court again on May 7. His army of fans and the Bollywood elite had been stunned by the sentence of the court in Jodhpur, a city in Rajasthan state.

Khan had denied shooting dead two rare antelopes known as blackbucks on a hunting trip while filming a movie in 1998. But while fans and producers of his coming films may be relieved, the actor – affectionately called “Bhai” or “brother” in Hindi – still faces a major courtroom drama.

The animal rights group Peta said it was disappointed with Khan’s bail.

“While Salman Khan gets to go back home to his movie star life for now, blackbucks were made to pay the highest price, with their lives,” said Manilal Valliyate, chief executive of Peta India.

The brawny actor, given the prisoner number 106 in prison, had reportedly been skipping his no-frills meals but not his workout sessions. The Times of India newspaper reported that he spent three hours exercising on Friday.

Khan has accused Rajasthan’s forest department of trying to frame him. His lawyers claim the blackbucks died of natural causes such as overeating, insisting there was no evidence that they were shot.

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

Khan remains one of Bollywood’s biggest draws despite his off-screen drama, starring in more than 100 films and television shows. He was second behind Shah Rukh Khan in last year’s Bollywood earnings rankings. Both Khans are among the top 10 highest-paid actors in the world.