Jodhpur, May 6: Bollywood super star Salman Khan arrived here on Sunday afternoon, a day ahead of hearing on his bail plea here after his conviction in a 1998 blackbuck poaching case by a Jodhpur trial court.

Salman's fans were seen trying hard to get a glimpse of the Bollywood superstar while he was leaving the airport. 

He was accompanied by his sister Alvira, friend Baba Siddiqui, and his lawyers.

On Monday, his bail plea will be heard by District and Session Judge Chandra Kumar Songara, during which Salman needs to be present in court. 

Salman was convicted and handed a five-year imprisonment on April 5 by Chief Judicial Magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri for killing two blackbucks 19 years ago. He spent two nights in the Jodhpur Central jail, before he was granted bail by the sessions court on April 7.

Both Khatri and District and Session Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi, who gave him bail, have since been transferred.

Salman's Bollywood colleagues Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre were acquitted by the trial court. Another accused Dushyant Singh, an area resident, was also acquitted. 

Salman was accused of shooting and killing blackbucks in Kankani village near Jodhpur on October 1, 1998, during the shooting of the film "Hum Saath Saath Hain".

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was taken by surprise during its ongoing search for a new head coach for the Indian national football team, when it received an application from none other than former Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.

According to a report in the Times of India, Xavi’s name was listed among several other applicants, including former India head coach Stephen Constantine and ex-Liverpool player Harry Kewell. What raised eyebrows was that the application had been sent from Xavi’s personal email address. However, the contact number field was left blank, which left AIFF officials unsure about how to proceed.

Confirming the development, AIFF’s National Team Director Subrata Paul told TOI, “It’s correct that Xavi’s name was there. The application was emailed to the AIFF.”

Despite the excitement around such a high-profile name, the AIFF had to reject Xavi’s application due to budgetary limitations. A member of the AIFF's technical committee admitted that while it was flattering to receive Xavi’s interest, it was simply not feasible. “Even if Xavi was genuinely interested in Indian football and could be convinced to take up the job, we would need a lot of money,” the official told TOI.

Xavi had earlier stated in an interview that he closely follows Indian football, largely due to the increasing presence of Spanish coaches in the Indian Super League (ISL).

Xavi Hernandez, a product of FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. Known for his vision and passing accuracy, he played 767 official matches for Barcelona, forming a formidable midfield trio alongside Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.

During his playing career at Barcelona, Xavi won five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies, and three UEFA Champions League titles. After leaving the club in 2015, he joined Al Sadd in Qatar, where he added four more trophies before retiring in 2019. On the international stage, Xavi was a key part of the Spanish national team that won the UEFA Euro titles in 2008 and 2012, and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

As a coach, Xavi enjoyed notable success with Barcelona as well, leading the team to victory in the 2023 Supercopa de España and the 2022–23 La Liga season.