Salman Khan: Bail hearing to get delayed as judge transferred

Jaipur: The hearing in the bail application filed by the lawyers of Bollywood actor Salman Khan will likely get delayed as the concerned judge was transferred in a late night order on Friday. District and sessions judge, Jodhpur Ravindra Kumar Joshi was among the 300 judicial officials who were reshuffled. Joshi has been transferred as district and sessions judge, Sirohi. Though Judge Joshi is yet to take the charge at the new place, he would likely avoid conducting a hearing in the case on Saturday, lawyers said.

Judge Joshi has been replaced by Chandrakumar Songara who is currently posted in Bhilwara. Chief judicial magistrate, Jodhpur rural Devkumar Khatri who convicted Salman Khan is among the judicial officers transferred. He has been posted chief judicial magistrate, Jodhpur district.

If the bail application is delayed, Salman Khan will have to spend the weekend behind bars.

The court of Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi had heard arguments from the defense lawyers as well as the prosecution and summoned the records related to the case on Saturday. The court said that the hearing will continue on Saturday and the bail application will be decided only after examining the records.

The court of chief judicial magistrate (Jaipur rural) had sentenced Salman Khan to five years imprisonment in connection with nearly 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case on Monday. The actor was immediately taken to Jodhpur Central Jail where he is currently lodged.

Other accused – including Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam were acquitted with the court giving them a benefit of doubt.

Salman received the punishment under sections 9 and section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act. The law has the provision of a maximum imprisonment of six years. As soon as the judgement was pronounced, other actors left the courtroom, while the police took Salman Khan into custody. He can appeal against the judgement in the district and sessions court. His lawyers also filed an application in the court that will come up for hearing on Thursday.

Salman had a total of four separate cases registered against him in connection with the poaching of blackbucks and chinkara.  Two of these cases were registered under section 51 of Wildlife (Protection) Act for poaching of two blackbucks in village Bhawad on 26-27 September, 1998 and one chinkara in Mathania (Ghoda Farm) on September 28-29, 1998.

In these two cases pertaining to the Wildlife Protection Act, the Rajasthan high court acquitted the actor in July, 2016.

The third case is pertaining to the use of illegal arms for poaching. He was acquitted in this case too.

In the fourth case, he has been pronounced guilty. This case is regarding the poaching of two blackbucks near Kakandi village on the intervening night of October 1 and October 2, 1998.