Kolkata: A Sealdah court expressed strong displeasure on Friday after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to present its lawyer on time during the bail hearing of Sanjay Roy, the primary suspect in the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

The CBI lawyer arrived 50 minutes late, leading to Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Pamela Gupta to question the agency's commitment. "Should I grant bail to Sanjay Roy?" she asked, highlighting the seriousness of the case and the need for prompt action. Despite the delay, the court rejected Roy's bail plea and remanded him to judicial custody until September 20.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) criticised the CBI's actions, with MP Saket Gokhale alleging that the agency was attempting to secure Roy's release on bail. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is set to resume its hearing on the case on September 9.

The trainee doctor's body, bearing severe injury marks, was discovered in the hospital's seminar hall on August 9. Following the Calcutta High Court's order, the CBI took over the investigation from Kolkata Police on August 14.

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Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.

During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."

According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.

"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.

He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.

"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.

The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.

"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.

The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.