Kolkata, Feb 4: The five accused in the multi-crore financial irregularities case at state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, including the former and controversial principal of the institute Sandip Ghosh, on Tuesday, sought exemption from the case.

Besides Ghosh, four others who have sought similar exemption from the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), are 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.

The hearing for framing of charge in the case is likely on Wednesday at a special court in Kolkata. It is learnt that the hearing on exemption petitions by the five accused will be conducted simultaneously with the hearing on charge-framing.

On January 28, the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed the CBI, which is investigating the case, to complete the process of framing charges against the five accused individuals by February 6.

Recently, Ghosh also approached the bench of Justice Ghosh with a plea seeking more time before the framing of the charges could begin. However, Justice Ghosh summarily rejected the petition.

As per the chargesheet filed by CBI in the financial irregularities case, the main charges are manipulations in the tendering process, getting infrastructure-related work at R.G. Kar done by private outsourced agencies bypassing the state Public Works Department, “smuggling” bio-medical wastes from the hospital and selling the organs of the unidentified bodies coming to the hospital morgue for autopsy.

In the charge sheet, the investigating officials also gave details on the skyrocketing increase in the quantum of assets and properties of the accused persons, especially Ghosh, during his tenure as the R.G. Kar principal.

In the chargesheet, Ghosh has been identified as the mastermind of the financial irregularities in the case.

New Delhi, Feb 4: The Delhi Police on Tuesday registered two cases – first against Chief Minister Atishi for violation of the Model Code of Conduct and another against her supporters for obstructing government work and attacking police.

CM Atishi’s convoy of 10 vehicles carrying her 50-60 supporters reached Fateh Singh Marg and when police asked her to return, citing MCC enforcement, she refused to comply.

A case was booked against CM Atishi on the complaint of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

After being booked, Atishi, the AAP candidate for the Kalkaji seat, slammed the Delhi Police and ECI for “acting in a partisan manner”.

In a post on social media platform X, she alleged that her opponent Ramesh Bidhuri’s family was openly violating the MCC but no action was taken against them.

Hitting out at Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, she said: “The Election Commission is also amazing! Ramesh Bidhuri ji’s family members are openly violating the Model Code of Conduct. No action is being taken against them.

“I filed a complaint and called the police and @ECISVEEP, and they filed a case against me! Rajiv Kumar ji: How much will you ruin the electoral process,” CM Atishi’s post read.

On the other hand, the BJP candidate for the Kalkaji seat, Ramesh Bidhuri’s nephew Manish Bidhuri has been booked under the Representation of People Act.

Campaigning for the Delhi Assembly polls ended on Monday, with 699 candidates vying for 70 constituencies.

The Delhi elections are being viewed as a referendum on the ruling AAP’s governance model in the national Capital for the last ten years.

They will also decide the BJP’s future in Delhi for the next five years and also if the Congress will be able to make a comeback in the national Capital.

The 70-member Delhi Assembly will go to polls on Wednesday and the results will be declared on February 8.

Mumbai: Four of the five policemen held “responsible” for the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, an accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, have approached the Bombay High Court (HC) seeking a copy of the magistrate’s inquiry report.

The officers have filed intervention applications in the petition by Shinde’s father, Anna Shinde, who has sought a probe into his son’s alleged “murder” and the registration of an FIR against the police personnel involved.

The bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela Gokhale questioned whether the State had taken a decision on registering an FIR based on the magisterial inquiry report and which investigating agency would probe the matter.

The magistrate’s report, submitted to the HC on January 20, found that the officers in the police van, which was used to transfer Shinde from Taloja Prison to Kalyan, were accountable for his death. Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Shinde of the Thane crime branch, Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More, Head Constables Abhijeet More and Harish Tawade, and Police Constable Satish Khatal were named in the findings.

Of these, Sanjay Shinde, Nilesh More, Abhijeet More, and Tawade have approached the HC through Advocates Sayaji Nangre and Sameer Nangre.

Their counsel, Ashok Mundargi, submitted that they were filing an intervention application for a “limited purpose” — to obtain a copy of the inquiry report. The officers contended that since serious allegations had been made against them, they had a right to access the document.

“The Applicant has not been made a party respondent and various allegations are made against the applicant and reliefs are claimed against the applicant,” their petitions read. Denying the allegations, the officers have urged the court to furnish a copy of the inquiry report.

Anna Shinde’s advocate informed the bench that the family was being threatened and sought police protection. The bench has asked State Advocate Prajakta Shinde to take instructions on the threat perception and inform the court on the next hearing date, February 5.

The inquiry report emphasised that the situation could have been handled more effectively and suggested preventive measures for the future. It also questioned whether the use of force by the police was justified.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) findings revealed that Shinde’s fingerprints were not found on the pistol he allegedly snatched, nor was gunshot residue detected on his hands, the handcuffs, or his clothing, the report recorded.