Judge set to hear Salman Khan's bail plea transferred; actor might have to spend more nights in jail

The District and Sessions Judge who was scheduled to hear Salman Khan's bail plea has been transferred along with 87 others.  Jodhpur Sessions Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi who was expected to hear Khan's case has been moved out as well as Dev Kumar Khatri, the judge who gave the 5-year sentence to the actor in the blackbuck poaching case.

The actor who is currently in prison following the verdict on Thursday appealed for a bail. However, the judge asked for a record of the previous trial.

According to a report by NDTV, this reshuffling of judges is usual practice but judges in Rajasthan are usually transferred between April 15 -30 every year. It is done as per recommendations of a committee set up by the Rajasthan High Court.  

On Thursday, Judge Khatri, while pronouncing the judgment said, "The way the accused killed two innocent black bucks in violation of the wildlife laws..he is a film star, people emulate him and look up to him and there has been a rise in poaching incidents, so leniency is not justified given the severity of the crime, the evidence and the circumstances."

Salman Khan was sentenced to jail term while the other accused, co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Neelam, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and a local, Dushyant Singh were acquitted due to lack of evidence. The actors were accused of killing two blackbucks while filming for Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Saath Saath Hain in 1998.

The actor is currently lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail.