Salman is in Mumbai, likely to surrender on Monday

Actor Salman Khans lawyer today said that his client, against whom a non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued, was in Mumbai and would surrender before the concern authorities in Rajasthan on Monday.

Mumbai, Aug 24 : Actor Salman Khan's lawyer today said that his client, against whom a non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued, was in Mumbai and would surrender before the concern authorities in Rajasthan on Monday.

"The (court's) order is 76 pages long. We will read it and file a revision application in the Rajasthan High Court on Monday, following which Salman will travel with me to Jodhpur to surrender," said Salman's lawyer Deepesh Mehta.

Earlier in the day, Jodhpur District and Sessions Judge K R Singhvi upheld the five-year jail term given to the actor by a lower court in April 2006 for poaching an endangered chinkara in 1998.

Rejecting Salman's bail plea in connection with the case, the court issued arrest warrant against him.

Reacting to the court's verdict, a lawyer representing the Bishnoi community, Mahipal Bishnoi, said: "Salman knew very well that he would be jailed. Which is why, he did not come to court. The judge said his presence or absence did not matter since it was judgement time. Now, Salman Khan will be arrested wherever he is or he could come and surrender himself."

Thanking the media and residents for their support, Bishnoi said that actor has no option but to surrender before the court

On April 10, 2006, Chief Judicial Magistrate had convicted Salman and sentenced him to five years imprisonment. The court also imposed Rs 25,000 as fine.

After his conviction by a lower court, Salman had to stay in the Jodhpur jail for four days.

During the shooting of the movie "Hum Saath Saath Hain" in 1998, Salman and others poached two Chinkaras at Ujiyala Bhakhar near Ghoda Farm.

Six others accused in the case, Bollywood actors Saif Ali Khan, Satish Shah, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari, have been acquitted.

The actor has also been sentenced to a year's imprisonment in another poaching case of Bhawad and has appealed against it as well.

The hearing in that case has not begun as the case is pending with the Rajasthan High Court where the State Government has filed an appeal for enhancement of the sentence.

The actor has been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act.

ANI