In a relief to Salman Khan, the Rajasthan High Court today stayed the 2006 order of a lower court which had sentenced the actor to five years in jail for poaching, paving the way for him to apply for a British visa.
Under British immigration rules, any person convicted for more than four years is not eligible for a visa. Since the actor was convicted for five year, he was denied visa by the UK Embassy.
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The passports of Indian convicts are stamped with the word "convict." The actor had approached the High Court seeking a stay on his conviction so that he could file a fresh application for a British visa.
Salman Khan.
Justice Nirmal Jeet Kaur stayed his 2006 conviction, saying Khan is now free to apply for visa for any country and this conviction order will not come into his way.
"We had moved an application in the High Court seeking a stay on his conviction order. After Khan's visa for UK expired recently and he filed for a fresh visa, he was denied the same because of the conviction order," said his counsel Lekh Raj Mehta.
Blackbuck is a protected animal and its hunting is a punishable offence. Khan was convicted and sentenced to 1-year and 5-year prison terms in separate cases of poaching of two Chinkaras at Bhawad and one Blackbuck at Ghoda Farm (Mathania) on the intervening night of 26-27 September, 1998 and 28-29 September, 1998 respectively.
Besides Khan, actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam were accused of poaching near Jodhpur during the shooting of the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.
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