International desk – Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been released on bail after he spent two nights in jail following a court sentenced him five years in prison in a 1998 poaching case.

The defence had questioned the testing of the animals and the reliability of witnesses. Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi delivered Saturday’s bail decision at the Jodhpur court.

On Thursday, Khan had been convicted in Jodhpur for killing two blackbucks in 1998, sentenced to five years in jail and fined 10,000 rupees.

The court ruled Khan, 52, killed the two blackbucks, a rare species, in Rajasthan while shooting a film.

Four other actors who starred with him in the movie and were also charged with the offence have been acquitted.

Khan will appeal against his conviction at a higher court.

Huge crowds braved scorching temperatures to gather outside the building for the ruling. They started dancing and shouted slogans once they heard the result.

Opinion had been divided on whether Khan should get bail, with animal rights activist arguing for a tougher punishment.

On Friday, the actor’s lawyer Mahesh Bora had filed his bail application. The hearing was put off till Saturday after the judge asked for the entire case records.

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