Lynched doctor�s family disappointed over not setting up of fast-track court
JORHAT, Oct 20 - The family of Deben Dutta, the former doctor of Teok Tea Estate Hospital, who was lynched by a violent mob at the hospital on August 31, has reportedly expressed disappointment over the State Government not complying with the its assurance of holding the trial of the case in a fast-track court.
A total of 32 people accused in the murder case are currently in judicial custody.
In wake of the lynching of the septuagenarian doctor of the tea garden by a mob of workers after a temporary worker died at the garden hospital, the Government had issued a notification of setting up a fast-track track court for the trial. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had also reportedly called up the family telephonically and assured them of providing justice by setting up a fast-track court.
On Saturday, however, when the accused were produced in the Jorhat District and Sessions Court as a matter of routine, it came to light that the Gauhati High Court had reportedly asked the District and Sessions Court to expeditiously conduct the trial. No separate fast-track court has been designated for the trial nor a special public prosecutor appointed for the said case, a source stated.
This was because the Government allegedly did not request the High Court to designate a separate fast-track court where the hearings would be on a frequent or daily basis but to expedite the trial, a source added.
The wife and daughter of the slain doctor today told mediapersons at their residence in Jogduwar at Teok that they were disappointed as the Chief Minister, himself had conveyed his condolences and told them that speedy justice would be delivered.
Advocate Rintu Goswami, who is also the president of the Jorhat Bar Association and who has been approached by the family of Dr Dutta and the Indian Medical Association, to assist the prosecution, has filed a petition at Court of the District and Sessions Judge (Jorhat) seeking accepting of the plea. Goswami said that the Court is expected to hear the said petition on October 23 when the issue of framing charges against the accused is expected to come up in the Court.
It may be mentioned here that the police filed a charge-sheet against the 32 accused in the case on September 22 and all of them were arrested within a week of the murder.
