Calcutta HC rejects Sandip Ghosh’s plea for extra time ahead of charge framing in corruption case

The Calcutta High Court on Friday rejected a petition filed by Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, seeking additional time before the charge framing process for financial irregularities in the institution could begin. Ghosh's legal team requested extra time to review the charge sheet and associated documents before the formal charge framing could take place. However, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh dismissed the petition, stating that there had already been significant delays in the commencement of the trial.

Earlier, on January 28, Justice Ghosh had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete the charge framing process by February 6. The CBI had filed the charge sheet in the case in November 2024, but the trial process had been delayed due to pending approvals. The charge framing process is a necessary step before the trial can officially begin. The CBI was instructed to proceed with the charge framing by the court, setting the February 6 deadline.

Sandip Ghosh remains incarcerated in connection with a financial corruption case despite being granted bail in cases related to rape and murder. For an extended period, the CBI was unable to begin the charge framing process due to delays in obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Health Department. The Health Department eventually granted permission for charge framing, allowing the CBI to proceed with the case. Following this, Justice Ghosh set the deadline of February 6 for completing the charge framing process.

The defense raised concerns over the large volume of documents related to the case, which reportedly include approximately 10,000 pages. Ghosh's lawyers argued that they had not received any documents from the CBI earlier and only began receiving them after the special court's order. With the charge framing scheduled to happen soon, they requested more time to go through the documents thoroughly. The defense questioned how they would manage to review such a large volume of material within a short time frame.

Despite these concerns, Justice Ghosh rejected the request for more time. The judge emphasized that the trial process had already faced delays, and the defense would need to manage reviewing the documents within the time provided. Justice Ghosh pointed out that if permission had been granted earlier, the defense would not have faced the current difficulties. The CBI was directed to complete the charge framing process by February 6, after which the trial could proceed.