Salman Khan was found guilty of killing the blackbucks, from the antelope family, in Kankani village near Jodhpur on the night of October 1, 1998 during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain".

Jodhpur court today convicted Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and sentenced him to five years in prison for killing two blackbucks in October 1998. The court announced that the actor would also be fined Rs 10,000.

Earlier Final arguments in this case were completed in the trial court on March 28, after which Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri had reserved his judgment.

Today The court acquitted his 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre and a local, Dushyant Singh, giving them the "benefit of doubt", a prosecution lawyer said.

All the actors were in a Gypsy that night with Salman in the driving seat. He spotted a herd of blackbucks and killed two of them, the lawyer said.

All the accused, some of them accompanied by their family members, were in the courtroom when the verdict was read out.

Salman was held guilty under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Blackbuck is an endangered animal and included in the schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act-1972.

Stargazers, media crews and security personnel swarmed the court premises and lined up along the two kilometre route from the court as the 52-year-old was whisked away in a Bolero police jeep to spend a night in jail.

The actor will spent the night in the Jodhpur Central Jail. Salman has earlier spent a total of 18 days in the jail in 1998, 2006 and 2007, all for cases of poaching.

Jail sources said Salman was lodged in barrack number 2 in a heavily protected and secure cell. He would have to spend at least one night in the jail until his bail hearing tomorrow.

This is his fourth stint in the Jodhpur Central Jail, which also houses religious preacher Asaram Bapu, who has been accused of rape.