Salman Khan, on bail in 1998 blackbuck poaching case, can travel abroad: court

Jodhpur: Actor Salman Khan, who is on bail in 1998 blackbuck poaching case, can travel abroad, court said on Tuesday. Judge Chandra Kumar Songara of the Jodhpur District and Sessions Court allowed him to travel to the US, Canada and Nepal from May 25 to July 10, after the actor's plea.

The 52-year-old actor was sentenced to five years in jail for killing two blackbucks in 1998 in Kankani village, near Jodhpur in Rajasthan, during the shooting of 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. His co-actors from the film Tabu, Neelam Kothari ,Saif Ali Khan and Sonali bender, were, however, acquitted by the Jodhpur sessions court. Notably, all the actors were present with Salman Khan while he was driving during their alleged late night hunting outing.

Salman Khan walked out of the Jodhpur Central Jail on April 7 after spending two nights there. This was the actor's fourth stint in the Jodhpur Central jail.  He has spent a total of 20 days in the jail in 1998, 2006, 2007 and in April this year. Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi, who had ordered his release on bail, had said that the actor can't leave the country without the court's permission. The next hearing in the blackbuck poaching case has been scheduled for May 7.