Kolkata, Feb 6 (IANS) The process of charges framing in the case of multi crore financial irregularities in state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, which was scheduled at a special court in the city on Thursday, has been postponed with the Calcutta High Court directing more time in the matter to the accused individuals.
The next hearing on the matter at the division bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Subhendu Samanta will be on Friday. The division bench directed the counsels of both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the accused five individuals, to discuss among themselves and mention a suggested date agreed by both parties by when the charge-framing process at the special court could begin.
The bench observed that they are not in favour of diluting the seriousness of the case by not allowing sufficient time to the accused to study the charges framed against them before beginning of the charge framing process.
The bench also raised the question of the hurry in beginning the charge-framing process when the documents related to the charges framed against the accused individuals were provided to their counsels by the CBI just on February 1.
However, the division bench, at the same time made it clear that by giving more time to the accused individuals to study the documents does not mean that the trial process in the matter will be unnecessarily prolonged.
The High Court bench also observed that if necessary, the Calcutta High Court might also supervise the trial process in the case at the special court.
Earlier, on Thursday, five accused individuals in the case approached the division bench of Justice Bagchi and Justice Samanta in the matter after their two attempts at a single- judge bench of Calcutta High Court to secure more time for the charge-framing process failed earlier this week.
On Wednesday, the single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh had rejected, for the second time, a plea by the accused seeking more time for charge framing. This follows a January 31 ruling where Justice Tirthankar Ghosh had dismissed a similar plea, directing the CBI to ensure charge-framing begins by February 6.
On Wednesday, the accused had moved a review petition before the same bench, which was also rejected. Justice Ghosh questioned its admissibility, emphasizing that his earlier rejection was based on careful consideration.
The CBI charge sheet names five individuals – former and controversial R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh, his assistant-cum-bodyguard Afsar Ali, private contractors Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra, and junior doctor Ashish Pandey. All five are currently in judicial custody.
The allegations against them involve significant financial irregularities at the medical college, and the outcome of the case is expected to have far-reaching implications.
