CBI arrests ex-RG Kar Hospital principal, 3 others over 'financial irregularities'

KOLKATA: The CBI on Monday arrested former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh and three others in connection with the alleged financial misconduct at the establishment, officials said. Within an hour of Ghosh’s arrest, CBI officers picked up his security guard and two vendors who used to supply materials to the hospital where the body of a woman medic, who was raped and murdered, was found on August 9.

The opposition BJP claimed that this arrest will expose the TMC government's attempts to destroy evidence and cover up Sandip Ghosh's wrongdoings. Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said had the state health department, which is under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, initiated action Sandip Ghosh after complaints were filed against him, the present embarrassment could have been avoided. West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose described the arrest of Sandip Ghosh as "the beginning of the end". He, however, did not elaborate.

The Calcutta High Court on August 23 ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital from a state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI. The direction came in response to a petition by former deputy superintendent of the facility, Dr Akhtar Ali, who prayed for a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into multiple counts of alleged financial misconduct at the state-run institute during the tenure of its former principal. Sandip Ghosh was questioned for the 15th day at CBI’s Salt Lake office over the alleged rape and murder of the RG Kar hospital post-graduate trainee. He was later escorted to the the agency's Nizam Palace office in Kolkata which houses its anti-corruption wing and was shown as arrested.

This is the second arrest in the ghastly RG Kar crime fallout scenario that took place 24 days after the crime was committed. Three others were taken into custody within an hour of Ghosh’s arrest. Earlier, a civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, was arrested by the Kolkata Police and handed over to the central agency in connection with the medic’s alleged rape and murder. The CBI is also investing the rape-murder case on an order of the high court. Ghosh served as principal of RG Kar Medical College from February 2021 to September 2023. He was transferred from RG Kar in October that year but inexplicably returned to that position within a month. He held his position at the hospital till the day the hospital doctor was found murdered.

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Ali had moved the High Court amid fervent speculations in the public domain on whether the alleged rampant corruption at the institution was in any way connected to the RG Kar medic’s death, with possibilities of the victim remaining privy to those and threatening exposure. Ali had also alleged that his complaints before the state vigilance commission and anti-corruption bureau filed over a year ago against Ghosh yielded little results and, instead, led to his own transfer from the institution. In his plea before the high court, Ali accused Ghosh of illegal sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste and passing tenders against commission paid by medicine and medical equipment suppliers. Ali also alleged that students were pressured to pay amounts ranging between Rs.5 and 8 lakhs to pass exams.

The former principal was asked to go on leave by the state government after the murder of the trainee doctor came to light. The agitating junior doctors have stuck to their demand to suspend the accused office pending inquiry and protestors across social and political circles of the state have accused the Mamata Banerjee administration of “shielding” Ghosh by not issuing a suspension order.

A day after the case of corruption was transferred to the CBI, the agency, on August 24, named Ghosh in an FIR and slapped section 120B of IPC (criminal conspiracy) which is to be read with section 420 IPC (cheating and dishonesty) and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The cases read together account for cognizable offences and are non-bailable in nature, a senior Calcutta High Court lawyer confirmed. Besides Ghosh, the CBI also registered cases against one M/s Ma Tara Traders of Madhya Jorehat, Banipur, Howrah, M/s Eshan Café of 4/1, H/1, JK Ghosh Road, Belgachhia, Kolkata and one M/s Khama Louha.

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The CBI on August 25 had conducted a day-long search operation at Ghosh’s Beliaghata residence in north-east Kolkata in connection with the corruption cases. Two rounds of polygraph tests were also conducted on him by the agency sleuths in connection with the rape and murder probe. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the party has nothing to say on Sandip Ghosh’s arrest. “Had the state health department initiated action then (after complaints were filed against Ghosh), the present embarrassment could have been avoided," he said.

State CPI(M) secretary Mohammed Salim said since there was a demand to arrest Sandip Ghosh from the very beginning, the Kolkata Police could have done this. “Ghosh's associates should also be arrested. We must find out who has been backing him. Action should be taken against Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal also," senior Salim said. The agitating junior doctors said that they are happy that the former RG Kar Hospital is arrested. “We would wait to see whether the health department sacks him or not. We will not withdraw out ongoing agitation,” one of the agitating doctors said.