Mumbai, April 5: Actor Salman Khan, who has been convicted by the Jodhpur court in the Blackbuck poaching case and has been sentenced to 5-years of imprisonment, will have to spend the night in jail and will apply for bail on Friday morning. But Salman's lawyer Anand Desai has released a statement saying that he is shocked by the judgement given on Salman and the quantum of punishment handed to him.

The Tiger Zinda Hai actor's lawyer Anand Desai has released a statement in which he has said that they (Salman's legal team and family) "respect the decision" delivered by the Jodhpur court that has convicted the actor in the blackbuck poaching case. But the lawyer has also expressed "surprise" at the judgement. "It just came as a suprise, as the entire investigation, and facts of this case were the same as those for which Salman has been acquitted by the Hon'ble High Court of Rajasthan in two cases," said the statement. "Also, in the present case the Hon'ble Court has acquitted all the 5 co-accused which would imply that Salman was out hunting alone in the middle of the night in a remote area outside Jodhpur," added the lawyer and informed that the bail hearing is scheduled for 10.30 am on Friday.

According to media reports, Salman's counsel asked for minimum punishment for the actor after he was convicted. The court convicted Salman under section 9/51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Bollywood celebrities like Samir Soni, husband of actress Neelam, who was also an accused in the case but was set free by the court, has showed his support for Salman Khan. Even Jaya Bachchan, actress and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) has expressed disappointment on the verdict when journalists asked for her reaction on the judgement. The actor has several high-budget movies in the pipeline and the fate of those movies now stare at uncertainty after this judgement. A lot depends on whether Salman's legal team manages to secure bail for him on Friday morning.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2018 06:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).