Preparations are underway to initiate the charge-framing process and subsequent trial proceedings at a special court in Kolkata in connection with financial irregularities at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
As per IANS, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has completed the process of handing over case-related documents to the legal counsels of the five accused individuals.
The counsels will review the materials and present their observations before the special court on February 15. Following this, both the CBI and the defence counsels will update a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on the case’s progress during a scheduled hearing on February 18.
The court is expected to determine the final date for the charge-framing process at the special court, after which the trial will commence.
The Calcutta High Court has already stressed the need to expedite proceedings, warning that any undue delay could undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
Earlier this week, the court remarked that the nature of financial misconduct at RG Kar Medical College could have serious implications for both government administration and the state’s healthcare system, added IANS.
A division bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Gaurang Kanth observed that the allegations in the case extend beyond financial mismanagement and could affect institutional governance within government bodies.
According to the CBI charge sheet, the five primary accused are Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College; his assistant and bodyguard Afsar Ali; private contractors Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra; and junior doctor Ashish Pandey. All five are currently in judicial custody. The charge sheet identifies Dr Ghosh as the mastermind behind the alleged scam.
The case involves serious allegations, including manipulation of the hospital’s tendering process, awarding of infrastructure contracts to private firms while bypassing the state public works department, illegal smuggling of biomedical waste, and the trafficking of organs from unidentified bodies at the hospital morgue.
With the legal process now gaining momentum, the focus shifts to the upcoming court proceedings that will determine the course of the trial.
