Jodhpur, Apr. 7 (Agencies): A district and sessions court on Saturday granted bail to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who was earlier sentenced to five years in jail on charges of poaching blackbuck in a wildlife preserve two decades ago.

Salman, who has spent two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail since his sentencing by a trial court on Thursday, will now be able to stay free while he appeals his conviction.

On Saturday, Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi ordered him to sign a surety bond of Rs 50,000 before he could be set free from the jail.

After he was released, at 5.30pm, he was driven straight to the airport to fly to his home in Mumbai.

Salman's overjoyed fans danced outside the courtroom and chanted "We love you, Salman." His sisters, Alvira and Arpita, were present during the hearing.

Four other Bollywood stars also accused in the case — Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam — were acquitted Thursday by Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri. They were in the jeep that Salman Khan was believed to be driving during the hunt in 1998.

Salman says he did not shoot the two blackbucks. He was acquitted in two related cases.

His attorney Mahesh Bora has challenged the conviction and sentence, and Salman will remain free pending the outcome of the appeal.

Salman spent a total of 18 days in prison in 1998, 2006 and 2007 in the poaching cases, but was freed on bail. He had been sentenced to prison terms of between one and five years in related cases before being acquitted by appeals courts for lack of evidence.

The blackbuck is an endangered species protected under the Indian Wildlife Act.

The Bishnoi, a religious sect whose beliefs include worshipping nature and wildlife, and who have long protected the blackbuck deer, expressed disappointment at the acquittal of the four other actors.