JODHPUR — Bollywood star Salman Khan, who was convicted for poaching two blackbucks in 1998 and sentenced to five-year imprisonment, has been granted a bail on Saturday by Jodhpur Court suspending his sentence forty-eight hours after a trial court convicted him.

The court, however, has directed Salman not to leave the country without its permission and submit a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of Rs 25,000 each for the bail.

The bail order from the court reached the Jodhpur Central Jail at 4.55pm. Salman soon emerged from its premises at 5.35 pm and was quickly escorted by his body guards to a car that drove him straight to the airport, from where the actor flew back to Mumbai in a chartered plane.

Several Bollywood celebrities came out in support of the actor.

Hundreds of fans who had gathered outside the central jail erupted in joy on seeing Salman emerge out of the prison gates. They shouted slogans, sang songs, burst crackers and showered flower petals on his pictures outside the jail in anticipation amidst a strong police cordon.

The Jodhpur district and sessions court, which suspended the sentence, will now hear the 52-year-old actor’s appeal against his conviction on May 7.