Salman Khan's 5-year jail sentence stirs fans and celebrities on Twitter
Khan was sentenced for killing two blackbucks, a protected species, in the western state of Rajasthan while he was there for a film shooting in 1998. Photo: AFP
(Web Desk) – Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in jail on Thursday in a two-decade-old poaching of rare antelope case that stirred not just the mainstream media but also social media.
According to BBC, Jodhpur’s court also fined Khan 10,000 INR for the crime. After sentencing, he was taken to jail.
Khan killed two blackbucks, a protected species, in the western state of Rajasthan while he was there for a film shooting in 1998.
Four other actors who were also charged with the offence have been aquitted.
In order to appeal against the verdict in a higher court, the 52-year-old actor has to spend at least a few days in prison, reported the BBC.
Khan has appeared in more than 100 films, and has a huge fan following across the vast spectrum of Indian society. Not only on the big screen.
Twitter went a buzz over Khan’s conviction, where mixed reactions from celebrities and fans were tweeted under the hashtags #BlackBuckPoachingCase and #SalmanKhan making these some of the top trending hashtags on the social media.
Of one thing I am dead sure..@BeingSalmanKhan would NEVER EVER harm any animal. He loves them too much. The real culprit should be exposed. 20 years is too long to bear someone else s cross..
— Simi Garewal (@Simi_Garewal) April 5, 2018
Honestly, I am feeling bad for Salman Khan because others were equally culpable and should not have been acquitted. Why should he suffer alone?
— richa singh (@richa_singh) April 5, 2018
And rumour mills say he wasn t the one per se but took blame for all female actors to safeguard them.
Lifespan of blackbuck: 10 to 15 years.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) April 5, 2018
Lifespan of court case when one kills a blackbuck: 20 years.
Salman Khan had to visit Jodhpur for 20 years on regular basis for case hearings, He has suffered enough. Though Law is equal for all , but i feel Salman doesn’t deserve to go in Jail. Hope upper court will dismiss the lower court verdict . #BlackBuckPoachingCase
— Sumit kadel (@SumitkadeI) April 5, 2018
When you punish someone for something they did 20 years ago you are not quite punishing the same person. Delayed justice is always flawed. #SalmanKhan
— Pragya Tiwari (@PragyaTiwari) April 5, 2018
I know for a fact that @BeingSalmanKhan has not killed the #BlackBuck. I am 100 percent sure he will be declared innocent finally. #BlackBuckPoachingCase
— Priya Gupta (@priyagupta999) April 5, 2018
My mother-in-law’s first reaction: in spite of being Modi’s friend, Salman Khan did not get any relief? #BlackBuckPoachingCase
— Rifat Jawaid (@RifatJawaid) April 5, 2018
Glad the court has stood up finally ! This man- boy who is alleged to have beaten his girlfriends up, alleged to have been in a car that was driven over homeless ppl, will finally be behind bars! But how long?#Salmankhan #BlackBuckPoachingCase #SalmanVerdict #salmanconvicted
— Tehseen Poonawalla (@tehseenp) April 5, 2018
