Kolkata: Initial preparations are underway to begin framing of charges and subsequent trial processes at a special court in Kolkata in the case of financial irregularities at state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has completed handing over all case-related documents to the counsels of the five accused individuals in the case for being studied by the latter.
The process of handing over all case-related documents by CBI to the counsels of the individuals was completed Wednesday and the latter will study and update the special court about their observations in the matter February 15.
Thereafter the counsels for both CBI and the accused individual will update a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on the entire progress in the matter, the hearing for which is scheduled on February 18. Based on the proceedings at the division bench, the final date for the charge-framing process in the matter at the special court might be fixed and once that is completed the trial process will start.
The division bench of the Calcutta High Court has already observed that they do not want any unnecessary delay in the beginning of the charge-framing and trial process, since the postponement might impact the faith of the common people in the judicial system.
Earlier this week, the Calcutta High Court observed that the nature of the scam in the financial irregularities case in state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital will have a far-reaching effect on any internal administrative system in government functioning.
The division bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Gaurang Kanth also observed that besides administrative functioning, the state’s healthcare system might also be adversely impacted by the nature of the crime.
The five main accused in the case, as mentioned in the charge sheet filed by the CBI are Sandip Ghosh – the former and controversial R.G. Kar Principal, 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 of the said medical institute, getting the infrastructure-related work there done by outsourced contractors bypassing the state public works department, smuggling of biomedical wastes of the hospital and finally selling of organs of unidentified bodies coming to the hospital morgue for autopsy purposes at premium prices outside.
IANS
