What’s the corruption case against ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh?

Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the Kolkata hospital where a doctor was raped and murdered last month, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday.

The arrest was made in connection with the allegations of financial irregularities during his tenure, which the central agency probed parallel to the rape-murder case.

The development also comes after a marathon two-week questioning session, which began on August 16.

The arrest

Former RG Kar Medical College Principal Sandip Ghosh, 53, was arrested on Monday after the CBI grilled him at its CGO Complex office in Salt Lake, according to The Indian Express.

Hours after questioning in the evening, he was placed under arrest at the agency’s anti-corruption office, Nizam Palace.

Several hours later, the CBI arrested three others, identified as Afsar Ali Khan, Ghosh’s security guard, Biplav Singha (52), and Sumon Hazra (46), both hospital vendors.

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On August 24, the agency filed an FIR under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (fraud) and Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act. Alongside Ghosh, it has named Ma Tara Traders of Madhya Jhorehat in Howrah, Eshan Café at Belgachia and Khana Louha.

The charges are cognisable offences and non-bailable in nature.

The corruption case

Amid the widespread protests across India, the corruption probe against Ghosh was initiated after RG Kar Hospital’s former Deputy Superintendent Akhtar Ali filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court on August 21.

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According to media reports, he accused Ghosh of illegal sale of unclaimed corpses, embezzlement of government funds, trafficking of biomedical waste, nepotism and violation of procurement laws.

Demanding a probe by the Enforcement Directorate in the case, he alleged that students were even pressured to pay a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to 8 lakh to pass their exams, as per NDTV.

Two days after the petition was filed, the High Court transferred the case from a state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI.

Ghosh served as the principal of RG Kar Medical College from February 2021 to September 2023. He was transferred to Murshidabad Medical College on an earlier complaint filed by Ali with state vigilance.

According to Indian Express, while Ali was transferred out, Ghosh was reinstated suddenly within a month as principal of RG Kar. He held the position until August 12 only to resign after massive protests over the rape and murder case.

However, within hours of his resignation, Ghosh was reinstated as principal of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital by the state government. The move triggered massive protests, with protesting doctors and juniors demanding his removal.

The protests also prompted the High Court to order Ghosh to proceed on leave.

On August 25, the CBI conducted a search at his residence, gathering “lots” of evidence, as per the report. The former principal has also undergone two rounds of polygraph tests.

Key witness in ICU

Demonstrator in the Forensic Medicine Department at RG Kar Hospital, Debasish Som, is a crucial witness in the financial irregularities case.

According to Mint, he is admitted in critical condition to a private hospital in Kolkata on Sunday.

He is an eyewitness to allegations of illegal selling of organs from unidentified bodies sent to the hospital for post-mortem.

The report says the organs were sold on the black market at a high price.

Anger against Ghosh

Sandip Ghosh’s role as principal of the RG Kar Medical College has been questioned by many.

The trainee doctor’s semi-naked body was found inside a seminar hall of the hospital on August 9, sparking nationwide protests and a series of violence in West Bengal. Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was arrested in connection with the brutal rape-murder.

Even the Supreme Court questioned why Ghosh, as the head of the institution, did not lodge a First Information Report immediately after the body was discovered. There have also been questions as to why the hospital authorities called the victim’s family and tried to pass her death as suicide.

His appointment to another hospital also backfired, with students locking him out of the principal’s office long before the Supreme Court order.

Additionally, the Indian Medical Association suspended Ghosh’s membership at the disciplinary committee of the medical body took note of the trainee doctor’s rape and murder under his leadership.

Bengal’s medical community and civic society, who have been on the warpath since the young doctor’s death was discovered on August 9, are not pleased with Ghosh’s arrest. According to NDTV, they have called for Vineet Goyal, the chief of police in Kolkata, to resign from his position.

Reacting to Ghosh’s arrest, the father of the 31-year-old junior doctor who was raped and murdered, was quoted by The Indian Express, “While I’m relieved by the CBI’s arrest, there’s no true solace. I would still say there is nothing to celebrate for me. However, we welcome the arrest.”

A ‘moral victory’

A group of resident doctors, who protested to the Lalbazar police headquarters on Monday, hailed Ghosh’s arrest as a “moral victory.”

Protesting resident, Aniket Mahato, was quoted by The Hindu as saying, “We are looking at this as a moral victory. We thank all the people who have supported us through these days.”

A doctor, TMC leader and former Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen, as per Indian Express, said, “When I joined as chairman of RG Kar Rogi Kalyan Samiti in February 2023, I had taken out details of all corruption charges against him and had tried to stop him. I had also informed the Health Secretary but no step was taken. Had the right steps been taken at the right time, we wouldn’t have had to see all this.”

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said, “People of Bengal wanted his arrest… The CBI has honoured the demand of the people of Bengal and hence I express my gratitude.”

With inputs from agencies