Salman Khan is in news once again after trending in the last few weeks for various reasons. But this time the actor must be breathing a sigh of relief as he is proved innocent in Jodhpur blackbuck and chinkara poaching case by Rajasthan high court which lasted for almost two decades.

Salman was accused for killing the endangered species, a blackbuck and a chinkara in two different places in the year 1998. At that time of the alleged incidents, Khan was shooting for the film 'Hum Saath Saath Hain' in Jodhpur. The original case was filed by the local Bishnoi community, who revere and worship the blackbucks.

The actor appealed to the high court challenging the lower court verdict which convicted him and sentenced him to one and five years in jail for the two cases of poaching. The high court had completed the hearings in May, 2016 but reserved their decision. Two separate cases had been registered against Khan under section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act for poaching of two chinkaras in village Bhawad on 26-27 September, 1998 and one chinkara in Mathania (Ghoda Farm) on 28-29 September, 1998.

The trial court even convicted him in both the cases for imprisonment but the actor later challenged the verdict and the appeals were pending in the court. Hearing on both these petition in high court had begun on November 16, 2015 and were completed on May 13, 2016, after which justice Nirmal Jit Kaur had reserved her judgement.

"The honourable high court has not agreed to the prosecution evidence or its documents in both the cases. Definitely, it's a good thing that an innocent man has received justice," the actor's lawyer Hastimal Saraswat told NDTV news channel. While the actor remained unavailable for the hearing.

Last year Khan was also proved innocent after being charged with running over and killing a homeless man in a driving accident. The government has challenged his acquittal in the Supreme Court.