JODHPUR: Justice Baljinder Singh Sandhu of the single bench of Rajasthan High Court on Monday recused himself from hearing the appeals of Bollywood actor Salman Khan and the state government in the black bucks poaching case hit.
Salman was accused of hunting two blackbucks in Kankani village of Jodhpur district during the shooting of the film “Hum Saath Saath Hain” in 1998.
The case, dating back to 1998, involves a joint hearing on Salman Khan’s appeal against his conviction as well as the state government’s ‘leave to appeal’ petition challenging the acquittal of co-accused Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu, Neelam and a local Dushyant Singh.
The matter relating to the appeals of Bollywood actor Salman Khan and the state government was listed for hearing at the Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Monday. But Justice Sandhu recused himself from hearing and directed the listing of the case before another bench.
Salman was convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the trial court on April 5, 2018 while all five co-accused were acquitted.
The actor challenged his sentencing in the session court and the state government moved the high court with a ‘leave to appeal’ against the acquittal of the co-accused.
Salman’s counsel filed a transfer petition in the high court against his sentence following the state’s appeal. The counsel prayed to club his appeal with the state’s appeal, submitting that both the petitions pertained to the same case.
Prosecution counsel Mahipal Bishnoi said that in July 2025, the high court had ordered the transfer of Salman’s petition from the sessions court to the high court and clubbing it with the state’s appeal for a joint hearing.
