Bollywood star Salman Khan lost an appeal on Friday against a conviction for shooting an endangered species of gazelle, and must now go to jail.
Khan went on a series of hunting trips in the desert state of Rajasthan in 1998 with several celebrity friends while shooting a movie, and was convicted in 2006 for killing several endangered species of antelope protected under wildlife laws.
The muscular, 41-year-old actor, who likes to appear bare-chested in his movies, is alleged to have slit the throat of the chinkara - a type of gazelle - he had shot before giving it to chefs at his luxury hotel to cook. The chinkara killing earned him five years in prison, of which he served three days before being bailed while he appealed.
That appeal failed on Friday. Khan was not present at his appeal hearing in the Rajasthani city of Jodhpur in western India, and so must either surrender or face arrest. Khan will now appeal to an even higher court, probably early next week, said one of his lawyers, Dipesh Mehta. Khan, meanwhile, has several other cases hanging over him.
He was also convicted in 2006 for killing protected blackbuck antelopes during the Rajasthan hunting trips, and given a one-year jail sentence. He was granted bail while he appeals against that conviction, but has also been charged with other counts of killing wildlife and of breaking gun laws.
He is also under trial for killing a person sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai while driving drunk in 2002. He has denied being at the wheel. The court's decision is bad news for the producers of the three films Khan is shooting, who have about 1 billion rupees ($24 million) riding on Khan being able to keep out of jail and wrap up production, according to film analyst Taran Adarsh.
Khan's lawyers could not agree why their client did not make it to court - one said he could not get a flight; another said Khan did not need to be present at the court.
They had earlier said Khan was filming in the southern city of Hyderabad, but media reports say he flew back to Mumbai on Thursday and was at home. Khan's publicist would not speak on the record. Conservationists were delighted with the verdict, saying they hoped it would deter others from killing India's endangered wildlife.