The judge, who was hearing Salman Khan’s bail plea in Jodhpur, was transferred at midnight. Judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi was expected to deliver a verdict on the Bollywood superstar’s bail, but he was handed over a transfer order at the midnight.
Along with Judge Joshi, 86 other judges too have been transferred, said an order. Judge Joshi, who has begun hearing the case today, will now be replaced by Chandra Kumar Songara, district and sessions judge of Bhilwara, reported NDTV.
Judge Dev Kumar Khatri, who had sentenced Salman to five years in jail, too has been transferred. He will now be replaced by Samrendra Singh Sikarwar, who is the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Udaipur.
Salman had moved the sessions court for bail after being convicted in the poaching of blackbuck two decades ago. He was later given 5-year jail term while the judge had acquitted other Bollywood stars including Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre, in the same case.
He has already spent two nights at Jodhpur central jail. Judge Joshi on Friday had said that he will study the actor’s case before taking a decision on his bail plea.