Indian Bollywood actor Salman Khan walks out of Jodphur airport ahead of tomorrow's court hearing in relation of the long-running wildlife poaching case against him in Jodhpur on May 6, 2018.
Salman Khan was found guilty April 5 of killing endangered Indian wildlife nearly two decades ago, a prosecutor said, a charge that could see the Bollywood superstar jailed for six years. / AFP PHOTO / Sunil VERMA
Indian Bollywood actor Salman Khan walks out of Jodphur airport ahead of tomorrow's court hearing in relation of the long-running wildlife poaching case against him. Mr Khan was found guilty of killinShow more

Salman Khan to plead for leniency on antelope killing charge



Indian movie star Salman Khan was due back in court on Monday over a five-year jail sentence he received for killing rare antelopes.

The Bollywood icon arrived in Jodhpur, in the western state of Rajasthan, on Sunday after flying from Mumbai for the hearing, India media reported.

Mr Khan, one of the world's highest-paid actors, was convicted last month of shooting dead two antelopes known as black bucks on a hunting trip while filming a movie in October 1998.

He was sentenced to five years in prison and is currently out on bail.

At Monday's hearing Mr Khan's lawyer is expected to call for the sentence to be suspended pending an appeal.

On April 6, a court found him guilty in the 20-year-old case while acquitting four other actors.

He spent two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail before being released on bail by a judge and returning to Mumbai – the home of India's multi-billion-dollar Hindi film industry.

Mr Khan has repeatedly denied killing the endangered animals and accuses 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.

Throughout the multiple cases, eyewitnesses have stated they saw Mr Khan firing a gun.

The 52-year-old enjoys a cult-like status in star-obsessed India and is one of Bollywood's biggest draws, despite a host of controversies.

Mr Khan was in a vehicle in Mumbai in 2002 when it mounted the curb and killed a homeless man sleeping on the pavement.

He was found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to five years in prison, but the verdict was overturned in a higher court in 2015. That acquittal is being challenged in the Supreme Court.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Consoles: PC, PlayStation
Rating: 2/5

THE SPECS

Battery: 60kW lithium-ion phosphate
Power: Up to 201bhp
0 to 100kph: 7.3 seconds
Range: 418km
Price: From Dh149,900
Available: Now

Essentials

The flights

Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes. 
 

The stay

A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.

if you go

The flights

Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return. 

The trek

Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.