NEW DELHI — After a legal battle that lasted nearly 20 years, a prominent Bollywood actor once seen by many as above the law was convicted of poaching two endangered blackbuck antelopes and sentenced to five years in prison.
Salman Khan, a 52-year-old baby-faced leading man was accused by members of the Bishnoi religious sect in western India of shooting at a group of rare black-and-white antelope on a hunting trip while filming a movie in 1998.
The verdict comes as a surprise to many who say Khan’s connections have got him out of trouble in the past — the actor was previously acquitted of two separate poaching cases and also of a hit-and-run manslaughter charge in 2015.
“There’s a sense in India that the rich and mighty can get away from the law … today, finally there’s a sense of justice being done,” said one news anchor as she announced the verdict.
Khan’s fans thronged outside the courtroom hoping to catch a glimpse of the actor on his way in, and police ramped up security, Indian media reported.
