Salman arrested at Jodhpur airport

Jodhpur, Aug 25 (IANS) Actor Salman Khan was arrested at the Jodhpur airport Saturday, a day after a district court here upheld a five-year jail term for him for hunting an endangered chinkara deer nine years ago, police said.

The actor travelled to the Rajasthan city by a Jet Airways flight and was immediately taken to the chief judicial magistrate's court here in a white gypsy.

The actor had earlier addressed reporters outside his Mumbai home, saying: 'I have full faith in the law of the land and I will abide by (its ruling). I am going to Jodhpur to surrender.'

A district and sessions court in Jodhpur Friday dismissed his plea against a five-year jail term and a fine of Rs.25,000 handed by the chief judicial magistrate's court.

In April last year, Salman had filed an appeal in the district and sessions court against the judgement of the lower court in Jodhpur.

The court had found Salman guilty under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Salman had spent three nights in Jodhpur Central Jail before the district and sessions court gave him bail.

On Friday, however, district and sessions judge Kamal Raj Singhvi rejected his appeal and upheld the five-year jail term and the fine. The district court also issued an arrest warrant against him.

The star of hit films like 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' failed to appear for the hearing Friday, saying he had missed the flight to Jodhpur from Hyderabad where he was shooting. However, his sister Alvira was in the court.

Salman has been convicted of poaching a chinkara deer at the Ghoda farm near Jodhpur on the night of Sep 28, 1998 while filming Sooraj Barjatya's blockbuster 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.

A case was registered against Salman and five others under the Indian Penal Code, the Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Arms Act Oct 11, 1998.