Kolkata: After two failed attempts to secure more time for the charge-framing process in the multi-crore financial irregularities case at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, former principal Sandip Ghosh and other accused have now moved a division bench of the Calcutta High Court.
The division bench, comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Subhendu Samanta, has accepted their petition and scheduled the hearing for the second half of Thursday. The repeated rebuffs from the single-judge bench have now led the accused to seek recourse from the division bench. The case involves allegations of multi-crore financial mismanagement at the state-run medical institution.
Notably, the charge-framing process is also set to begin at a special court in Kolkata this afternoon, making its fate dependent on the division bench’s ruling. The special court is also scheduled to hear exemption petitions filed by the five accused, including Ghosh. 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 — 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.