Actress-turned-Kathak guru Archana Joglekar in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 7: How many days should it take for a trial to start in a case of attempt to rape? A year, maybe two, at best five?

In Archana Joglekar’s case, it took more than nine years to set the wheels of justice rolling. The former Marathi actress and now a Kathak guru today flew all the way from her New Jersey home to make her first appearance in the trial at a sessions court here, only to find the defence lawyer absent.

On the chilly night of November 30 in 1997, Joglekar had come to the city to shoot for an Oriya movie, Stree. Shooting over, Joglekar returned to her room at the Orissa Tourism Development Corporation-run Panthaniwas and placed her order for dinner. Around 10 pm, there was a knock on her door.

Joglekar, then changing her clothes, opened the door only to find accused Bhubanananda Panda, then an unemployed youth, pestering her for an autograph. When she asked him to go away and come the next day, an inebriated Panda reportedly forced himself on her and tried to molest and throttle her.

Two different FIRs of attempted rape and molestation were later lodged with the Bargarh police station in the city by Joglekar. The actress alleged that even after repeated complaints, the Panthaniwas staff stood mute spectators to the whole incident.

Panda was arrested the next day and was sent to the Jharpada jail. He was released on bail after 10 months till he was again arrested recently and put behind bars in a cheque bouncing case.

The chargesheet in the case was filed on February 28, 1998. However, the case was lost in the quagmire of justice till it was transferred to the fast-track court, presided by additional district and sessions judge R.K. Saran in 2005.

Outside the courtroom of Saran, an upset Joglekar kept mum despite a barrage of questions from reporters.

She reportedly told the judge that it was not possible for her to come to Bhubaneswar time and again for the hearing and she would be forced to demand the return airfare from the US, where she stays with her husband.

The actress was accompanied by her Pune-based brother Ashwini to the court.

Joglekar, who had vowed not to visit Orissa again, came all the way from the United States to see that “justice is delivered”. “The anger and hatred against the accused was visible on her face when Archana was narrating the incident. She identified him at first sight,” said assistant public prosecutor Surya Narayan Dash.

The trial that was scheduled to start at 11.45 am began with an in-camera deposition at the fast-track court.

Joglekar, however, had to return without the hearing as defence lawyer Surendra Patra did not turn up.

Panda, who had asked for a week’s time for the next hearing saying he needed to hire another lawyer, was allowed one more day. The next hearing would be held tomorrow.