Decks were cleared on Wednesday for Bollywood actor Salman Khan's trial in a hit-and-run case when a sessions court ordered a Bandra magistrate to conduct the proceedings from August 19.

Acting on a Maharashtra government plea, Principal Judge R R Vachha transferred the case from Magistrate S Y
Sishode's court to that of Additional Chief Magistrate J B Pankhe.

The government's plea was against a lower court order allowing Magistrate Sishode to conduct the trial.
 
One person was killed and four injured when Salman's SUV crashed into a suburban bakery on September 28, 2002.

The actor has maintained all along that he was not at the wheel at the time of the accident.
 
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate R D Gate had earlier rejected the government's petition challenging the jurisdiction of Sishode's court to try Salman. The state then filed an appeal in a sessions court.