Kolkata, Dec 18 (IANS): Recording of statements of a total of 50 witnesses has been completed at a special Kolkata court during the ongoing trial of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital within the hospital premises in August this year.
Since the trial process is being conducted in camera within closed doors of the courtroom, nothing has transpired on the developments so far. The trial process is being conducted on a fast-track and daily basis.
It is learnt that the statement of civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, the sole "prime accused" in the crime of rape and murder in the first and only charge sheet by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), might be recorded on Friday.
Sources aware of the development said that during that process, new witnesses, if suggested by Roy’s counsel, might be included in the list whose statements will be recorded.
Recently, the special court granted bail to two accused of tampering with evidence in the case since the CBI failed to file the supplementary charge sheet, including the names of the duo, within 90 days from the date of their arrest.
These two are the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal. Both were accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with the evidence while the initial investigation in the matter was being carried out by Kolkata Police.
While Ghosh is still in judicial custody because of the ongoing parallel probe against him by the CBI in the case of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar, Mondal is out on bail.
The development has evoked strong protests from the common people in general and the representatives from the medical fraternity in particular. The West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front, the umbrella body of junior doctors in the state, has already threatened to resume their cease work protests which they withdrew earlier keeping the larger public interest in mind.