Today, On 2nd September, the former Principal of RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata arrested. In response to the incident, former Deputy Superintendent Akhtar Ali filed an appeal in the High Court, urging the Enforcement Directorate to investigate alleged financial misconduct involving Sandip Ghosh.
Kolkata: Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the Kolkata hospital where a doctor brutally raped and murdered last month, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following an extensive two-week questioning session.
The arrest linked to allegations of financial irregularities during his tenure, which the central agency is investigating alongside the rape-murder case. Along with Ghosh, three others have also been arrested: vendors Biplav Singha and Suman Hazara, and Afsar Ali, who served as additional security to Ghosh.
As the principal of RG Kar Medical College, where the woman’s body discovered on the morning of August 9, Sandip Ghosh’s actions have come under significant scrutiny. The Supreme Court even raised concerns about why he, as the head of the institution, failed to immediately file a First Information Report (FIR).
His transfer to another hospital just hours after he resigned under public pressure caused further controversy, raising questions about the state government’s involvement. The Calcutta High Court, criticizing the government’s actions, suggested that instead of taking up the new post, Ghosh should take an extended leave.
The CBI, which took over the investigation following a Calcutta High Court order, began questioning Ghosh on August 16, with each session lasting between 10 and 14 hours. On August 25, the CBI conducted a search of his residence as part of the financial irregularities probe, with officials indicating that significant evidence gathered. Ghosh has undergone two polygraph tests during the investigation.
Amid widespread protests, Akhtar Ali, the former Deputy Superintendent of RG Kar Hospital, filed an appeal in the High Court, calling for the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the alleged financial misconduct. In his appeal, Ali accused Ghosh of various illegal activities, including the unlawful sale of unclaimed bodies, trafficking of biomedical waste, and awarding contracts based on commissions from medical suppliers. He also alleged that students were coerced into paying between Rs.5 and Rs.8 lakh to pass their exams.
Following these allegations, the Indian Medical Association suspended Ghosh. His subsequent appointment to Calcutta National Medical College sparked protests, with students locking him out of the principal’s office even before the Supreme Court intervened.