Kolkata horror: Ex-principal of RG Kar Hospital Sandip Ghosh arrested by CBI in corruption case

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Sep 2, 2024, 8:31 PM IST

The CBI on Monday arrested Dr.Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in connection with alleged financial misconduct at the institution.

The CBI on Monday arrested Dr.Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in connection with alleged financial misconduct at the institution. This arrest follows extensive questioning, as Ghosh was interrogated for the 15th time at the CBI’s Salt Lake office regarding the alleged rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee from RG Kar hospital on August 9.

After the questioning, Ghosh was transported to the CBI's Nizam Palace office in Kolkata, where he was formally arrested by the anti-corruption wing of the agency.

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Complaints about financial irregularities during Ghosh's tenure were filed by the hospital's former deputy superintendent, Dr. Akhtar Ali. Following the revelation of the trainee doctor's murder, the state government had directed Ghosh to take a leave of absence.

Following Ghosh's arrest, Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, took to X to write, "Middle stump uprooted. What next?"

MIDDLE STAMP UPROOTED. WHAT NEXT? pic.twitter.com/buZonkQyu2

— Sukhendu Sekhar Ray (@Sukhendusekhar)

The CBI's probe, which began with the grave incident occurring in the early hours of August 9, has already involved over 140 hours of questioning of Dr. Ghosh. In addition to the serious allegations related to the crime, the former principal is also under investigation for financial misconduct at the hospital. An FIR has been filed against him and other entities concerning this matter.

The CBI has actively pursued multiple angles in their investigation. Last Sunday, agency officials conducted searches and questioned Dr. Ghosh at his residence. On Thursday, various CBI teams visited RG Kar hospital as part of their ongoing investigations. One team from the Nizam Palace office investigated the hospital morgue to review infrastructure, protocols for preserving bodies, and conducting post-mortems. They also spoke with hospital staff, including the head of the forensic department and the current vice principal, Dr. Saptarshi Chatterjee.

Additional inquiries focused on complaints from former Deputy Superintendent Akhtar Ali, who alleged trafficking of unclaimed bodies and other financial misconducts, including corruption in the disposal of biomedical waste and nepotism in construction tenders during Dr. Ghosh's tenure.

Other CBI teams searched the hospital's store building for medical and purchase records and inspected the chest department where the victim worked. They also examined the crime scene and interviewed hospital staff.

As of now, only one arrest has been made in connection with the alleged rape and murder case: Kolkata Police civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy, who is currently in judicial custody. The ongoing investigation has raised several questions, including the involvement of multiple individuals, the results of DNA and forensic tests, and the handling of the crime scene.

The Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation into both the rape-murder case and the allegations of corruption to the CBI on August 13 and August 23, respectively. Dr. Ghosh has been interrogated at the CBI's CGO Complex office since August 16. The probe continues to be a major focus of public attention as more details emerge.

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