A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday fixed 11 March as the tentative deadline for completion of charge-framing at the special court in the alleged financial irregularities case related to the R G Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.
The Division Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Gaurang Kanth also observed that the counsel for the accused in the case will have to complete the process of examining all the case-related documents in the matter by 3 March.
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting the probe in the matter, has already informed the Calcutta High Court that all case-related documents have been handed over to the counsels of all the five accused individuals in the matter.
The Division Bench also observed that if necessary, the judge of the special court, where the charge framing and the trial process in the matter will be conducted, might consult with the prosecution and defence counsels in the matter.
The Division Bench also observed that this would be crucial for ensuring a speedy trial process in the matter within a specific time frame.
The Bench observed that it does not want any unnecessary delay in the beginning of the charge-framing and trial process, since the delay might impact the faith of the common people in the judicial system.
The five accused individuals in the case are the former and controversial principal of R G Kar Sandip Ghosh, his assistant-cum-bodyguard Afsar Ali, private contractors Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra and a junior doctor Ashish Pandey. All of them are in judicial custody now.
In the charge sheet, the CBI had identified Ghosh as the mastermind behind the entire scam.
The main charges in the R G Kar financial irregularities case are manipulations in the tendering system, getting infrastructure-related work done by outsourced contractors bypassing the state Public Works Department, smuggling of biomedical wastes of the hospital and selling of organs of unidentified bodies coming to the hospital morgue for autopsy purposes at premium prices outside.
