No bail for Salman, case transferred to HC bench

Jodhpur, Aug 29: Rajasthan High Court Judge today refused to entertain the bail plea of actor Salman Khan today on grounds of judicial propriety and the case has been transferred to another bench.

Judge Gopal Krishna Vyas who was supposed to hear the bail plea according to roster, excused himself saying he was a lawyer of one of the witnesses in the case and may be biased after some allegations surfaced.

The hearing on Salman's bail plea and revision would be heard by another bench of the High Court. Salman's lawyers including Dipesh Mehta are seeking an early hearing of the case and are trying for a post lunch hearing today.

Salman had to go to jail after the District and Sessions Court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him on August 24. The District and Sesions Court Judge Kamal Raj Singhvi had upheld the lower court's verdict of April 10, 2006 sentencing him to five years rigorous imprisonment for poaching chinkara.

The judge had also rejected actor's appeal for 10 days time for surrender. He is convicted of poaching a chinkara, a species of protected antelope, in Ghoda Farm under Mathania police station on Sep 28-29,1998, while he was camping here for the shooting of the film Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Salman's other appeal against one year imprisonment for poaching two black bucks in Bhavad village on Sept 26-27,1998, is pending in court and will come up for hearing on Sep 10.

UNI