Bollywood star Salman Khan was granted two days interim bail on Wednesday (May 06) by the Bombay high court, hours after being sentenced to five years in prison, for killing a man in a hit-and-run accident case.
Khan was taken into custody after the sentencing.
“The bail has been continued,” said his lawyer Shrikant Shivade.
Earlier in the day, a sessions court sentenced Khan to five years in prison, for killing a man in a hit-and-run accident, the latest twist in the tumultuous career of a hero of India’s silver screen.
Earlier, the sentencing drove down shares of firms connected to the actor.
The sentencing if upheld, will derail major projects in the pipeline of the world’s most prolific movie industry.
The Mumbai court convicted Khan, 49, of culpable homicide on charges that he lost control of his Toyota Landcruiser when driving under the influence of alcohol in 2002, and rammed into a group of people sleeping on a pavement.
Khan, instantly recognisable by his muscular build, denied being behind the wheel, despite the testimony of several witnesses. In March, the actor’s driver said he had driven the car, while Khan rode in the passenger seat.
In his verdict, Judge D.W. Deshpande said Khan had in fact been driving the car.
Khan, one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, along with Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, has drawn viewers to some of the industry’s highest-grossing films.
His portrayals of working class characters hold broad appeal for young audiences across India.
The conviction is not Khan’s first brush with the law. In 2007, he was jailed for nearly a week for shooting an endangered gazelle on a hunting trip in the desert state of Rajasthan. He is also on bail in a case over the killing of protected antelopes.
Two of Khan’s big films were lined up for release this year — director Kabir Khan’s “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” and “Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo”, directed by Sooraj Barjatya.