Kolkata: The special CBI court on Thursday show-caused the CBI for the delay in informing it about the state govt's sanction for the prosecution of RG Kar former principal Sandip Ghosh in the alleged financial irregularities case.
The court, which is likely to start framing charges in the case within seven days from Thursday, will hear the matter again on Friday.
The CBI counsel placed the prosecution sanction order in the trial court on Thursday, two days after producing it in the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday.
As the CBI placed the order, the special CBI court judge, Sujit Kumar Jha, expressed his dismay and asked the CBI counsel the reason behind the delay in informing the court about the state sanction. Ghosh's lawyer, Zohaib Rauf, pointed at non-cooperation by CBI and alleged that despite securing the sanction order on Jan 27, 2025, the agency did not inform the trial court about it. The judge said the CBI would have to show cause for the delay. "Why didn't you inform the court earlier when you received the sanction order on Jan 27? Are you trying to bypass the trial court?" the judge said.
The CBI had filed the charge sheet in the case on Nov 29, 2024, mentioning they were awaiting the prosecution sanction from the govt. There have been eight hearings since then, and the charge-framing process has been pushed back in the absence of the order.
"The trial process was getting delayed due to the sanction order, and the judge was visibly unhappy with the CBI's response. He issued a show cause to the CBI. We have pleaded with the court not to shorten the process so that everyone gets enough time for their submission," said Indrajit Adhikari, lawyer for Biplab Singha, one of the accused in the financial irregularities case. The CBI is likely to serve copies on the accused on Friday, when the court next hears the case.