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| Salman Khan is one of the world's highest-paid actors (AFP Photo) |
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan left prison on Saturday after being granted bail so he can contest a five-year jail sentence for killing rare antelopes.
Hundreds of
frenzied fans awaited the 52-year-old as his vehicle sped through the gates of
Jodhpur Central Jail, where the action star had spent two nights after being
sentenced on Thursday.
Some tried
to cling to the sides of his sports utility vehicle and scores of motorbikes
followed Khan as he was driven at high speed to Jodhpur airport to a waiting chartered
jet.
He flew to
Mumbai where more crowds -- with many men emulating Khan's distinctive
hairstyle and clothes -- gathered outside his luxury apartment, dancing to
songs from his films.
Khan
appeared on the terrace of his apartment with his family and waved to his fans.
A judge
released Khan, one of the world's highest-paid actors, in return for bail and
sureties totalling 100,000 rupees ($1,500). He cannot leave India without court
permission.
Hordes of
fans outside the court erupted in celebration on hearing the result, beating
drums and chanting Khan's name.
Khan did
not attend the bail hearing but prosecutor Mahipal Bishnoi said the actor must
appear in court again on May 7.
Khan's army
of fans and the Bollywood elite were stunned by the court sentence in the
20-year-old case.
Khan had
denied shooting dead two rare antelopes known as black bucks on a hunting trip
while filming a movie in 1998.
The court
found him guilty while acquitting four other actors.
The actor
enjoys a cult-like status and is affectionately known by the Hindi name
"bhai", or "brother".
Relief
and anger
"Prayers
of millions worked," said television actor Arjun Bijlani in a tweet.
But while
his fans and producers of costly upcoming films may be relieved, Khan still
faces a major courtroom drama.
Throughout the multiple cases, eyewitnesses have stated they saw Khan firing a gun in October 1998.
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Bollywood
actor Salman Khan's advocate Hastimal Saraswat briefs the
media outside court
(AFP Photo)
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Throughout the multiple cases, eyewitnesses have stated they saw Khan firing a gun in October 1998.
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, black bucks
were made to pay the highest price, with their lives," Manilal Valliyate,
chief executive of PETA India, said in a statement.
Khan has
accused Rajasthan's forest department of trying to frame him. His lawyers claim
the black bucks died of natural causes such as overeating, insisting there was
no evidence they were shot.
Four other
Bollywood stars -- Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari -- who
were also accused in the case were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Khan
remains one of Bollywood's biggest draws despite the off-screen drama, starring
in more than 100 films and television shows.
He finished
second behind Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 Bollywood earnings rankings. Both the
Khans are among the world's top 10 best-paid actors.
The
Bollywood heartthrob's latest blockbuster "Tiger Zinda Hai" (Tiger is
Alive) collected some $85 million worldwide.
Khan has
nearly $90 million riding on his projects in coming months with at least three
films in the pipeline, analysts say.
A director
of one of Khan's upcoming films "Race 3" expressed relief at his
release.
"I am
happy that he has got bail. After working with him so closely I have become a
huge fan of him, not only as an actor but also as a human being," Remo
D'Souza told the Press Trust of India.
"Almost
90 percent of the shoot for (the film) is over and the remaining portions will
mostly be shot in India."
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