A lower court here Tuesday deferred decision to Aug 24 on Bollywood actor Salman Khan's appeal against a five-year jail term for poaching an endangered chinkara deer nine years ago.

"The District and Sessions court has heard arguments from both the prosecution and defence sides and has postponed hearing to Aug 24 when the final verdict is expected to be delivered," Hastimal Saraswat, Salman's counsel, told.

Salman Khan had in April last year filed an appeal in the district and sessions court against the judgement of the chief judicial magistrate's court in Jodhpur that had sentenced him to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs.25,000 for the poaching.

On April 10 last year, the chief judicial magistrate's court had found Salman guilty under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Salman spent three nights in Jodhpur Central Jail before being given bail by the district and sessions court.

Salman and another person have been convicted of poaching a chinkara in Ghoda farm near Jodhpur on Sep 28, 1998, during filming for Sooraj Barjatiya's "Hum Saath Saath Hain".

A case was registered against Salman and five others under the Indian Penal Code, the Wildlife Protection Act and the Indian Arms Act at Mathania Police Station on Oct 11, 1988. Salman, who faces four cases in Jodhpur, has also been sentenced to one year in jail in another poaching case in Bhawad. He has filed an appeal against this decision too.