NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been granted permission by an Indian court to travel abroad shortly after he filed a petition seeking consent to visit four countries.
Dabang Khan was granted bail in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case on April 7 after being sentenced to five years of imprisonment for killing two blackbucks. The actor was released on two bail bonds of Rs 25,000 each two days later.
Khan, one of the Indian movie industry’s most bankable stars, was convicted by a court in Rajasthan state of poaching the rare antelopes known as black bucks in 1998.
Four other Bollywood stars — Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari — were also accused of partaking in the hunting trip but were acquitted for lack of evidence.
While the court informed the 52-year-old actor that he will be required to seek permission from the court if he wants to travel abroad while on bail.
On April 5, Salman Khan was convicted while other co-accused – Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre were acquitted by the Jodhpur court.
“Salman Khan has been convicted under the wildlife protection act and the rest of the stars have been acquitted,” prosecutor Mahipal Bishnoi told reporters.
Khan, known for his tough guy roles in Hindi films, has accused the state’s forest department of framing him over the black buck case.
No stranger to controversy, Khan was cleared in 2015 of killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run accident in 2002. That decision is now being challenged in the Supreme Court.
According to Forbes, he made $37 million in yearly earnings to finish second behind Shah Rukh Khan in 2017 Bollywood rankings.
Both the Khans are among the top 10 most highly paid actors in the world.
The Bollywood heartthrob’s latest blockbuster “Tiger Zinda Hai” (Tiger is alive) collected some $85 million worldwide.
