Today, On 4th September, Former RG Kar Medical College head, Sandip Ghosh, moved the Supreme Court, contesting a High Court decision that handed the graft investigation against him to the CBI. Ghosh, along with three others, had been arrested by the CBI in connection with alleged financial irregularities at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital.
New Delhi: Sandip Ghosh, On Wednesday, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, filed a challenge against the Calcutta High Court’s decision to transfer the corruption investigation against him to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Previously, on August 23, the Calcutta High Court ordered that the investigation into alleged financial misconduct at RG Kar Hospital be transferred from a state-formed Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI. The CBI subsequently arrested Ghosh and three others in connection with the suspected financial irregularities at the hospital.
This case gained further attention following the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the hospital last month, leading to increased scrutiny of its administration.
Ghosh served as the principal of RG Kar Medical College from February 2021 to September 2023. After being transferred from his position in October, he returned unexpectedly within a month and remained in the role until the trainee doctor’s death. The other three individuals arrested alongside Ghosh include his security guard, Afsar Ali (44), and two hospital vendors, Biplav Singha (52) and Suman Hazara (46).
The doctor argued,
“The principles of natural justice were not adhered .”
He also requested,
“Certain remarks be removed from the record.”
The hearing on this matter has been scheduled for Friday.
The Calcutta High Court’s directive came in response to a petition filed by Dr. Akhtar Ali, the former deputy superintendent of RG Kar Medical College. In his petition, Ali called on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate multiple instances of alleged financial irregularities at the government-run institution during Ghosh’s tenure as principal.
In his petition to the court, Dr. Akhtar Ali claimed that he filed complaints with the state vigilance commission and the anti-corruption bureau over a year ago, accusing Sandip Ghosh of misconduct. However, instead of addressing his concerns, Ali himself transferred from RG Kar Medical College.
He approached the High Court amid growing speculation about whether the widespread corruption at the institution was linked to the death of the RG Kar medic, as the victim reportedly aware of these irregularities and had threatened to expose them.
Sandip Ghosh’s arrest marks the second significant one at the hospital since August 9.
Previously, a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, was taken into custody by the police and later handed over to a central agency in connection with the medic’s alleged rape and murder.
In his petition, Ali accused Ghosh of engaging in illegal activities, such as selling unclaimed bodies, trafficking biomedical waste, and awarding contracts in exchange for commissions from suppliers of medicine and medical equipment. He also claimed that students were coerced into paying sums between Rs. 5 and 8 lakhs to pass their exams.