DHAKA: A court in India has cleared Bollywood star Salman Khan of keeping firearms illegally.

The court in the city of Jodhpur said the prosecution had been unable to prove that Khan used firearms to kill endangered black bucks two decades ago, reports the BBC.

The actor, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, has already been acquitted in two cases of poaching. A fourth case is still being heard.

Salman Khan, 51, is one of Bollywood's biggest stars, appearing in more than 80 films.

The actor was charged with killing two black bucks, a protected antelope species, and keeping firearms illegally during a trip to a forest in 1998.

The original case against him was filed by the local Bishnoi community, who revere and worship the black bucks.

In 2006, a trial court convicted the actor in two cases of poaching and sentenced him to five years in prison.

The Rajasthan high court suspended the sentence the following year, and eventually acquitted him last year.

The state government has appealed against that order in the Supreme Court.

In 2015, Khan was also acquitted after being charged with running over and killing a homeless man in a driving accident in Mumbai. The Maharashtra state government has challenged the order in the Supreme Court.

BDST: 1443 HRS, JAN 18, 2017
AP