Calcutta HC transfers RG Kar hospital financial irregularities probe to CBI from state SIT

The decision followed a petition by former Dy. Superintendent of the medical establishment, who sought an ED probe into alleged financial misconduct during the tenure of the college's former principal.

Calcutta High Court File photo| PTI

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Friday transferred the SIT probe into the irregularities and scams at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to the CBI. 

Hearing a petition filed by Dr. Akhtar Ali, former deputy superintendent of R G Kar hospital, the high court directed the state police to hand over the case files to the CBI by 10 am Saturday.

After the rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at the hospital, Ali had moved the Calcutta High Court seeking an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the corruption charges raised against Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the hospital who was twice transferred out over allegations of corruption but was reinstated both times.

The CBI has been directed to submit a report about the investigation after three weeks and the high court will hear the case again on September 17.

Protests erupts against Dr. Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital

Ghosh, an orthopaedics professor, took charge as the principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in mid-2021, after being promoted from his previous position at Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC).

Ali wrote a complaint to the state Vigilance Commission against Ghosh and two others on July 14 last year. It accused Ghosh of alleged squandering of government money, illegal use of government assets without prior approval, quotations worth crores of rupees being given to a few ineligible bidders, evasion of financial rules, illegal selling of used hazardous biomedical wastes through his additional security personnel, and misuse of Covid funds for creation of a gym and furnishing of office chambers, among others.

Ghosh’s conduct came under the scanner again after the rape and murder of the junior doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.

However, Dr Ghosh has been transferred to the health department as an officer on special duty. After taking over the investigation into the doctor’s rape-murder case, the CBI has already grilled Ghosh for last eight days.

Meanwhile, the former principal has decided to move to the division bench stating that he was not given a chance to speak his version after a series of allegations of corruption levelled against him.

Sanjoy Roy has been sent to 14-days judicial custody

Sanjoy Roy, one of the accused of RG Kar incident has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody by Kolkata court. He was produced in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), Sealdah, under tight security with a deputy commissioner ranked official present outside the court. Personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were also deployed to avoid any untoward incident.

According to sources, the hearing was held in the judge’s chamber instead of the courtroom and no one was allowed inside.

Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is now probing the case, took him into custody following a court order and questioned Roy. As per investigators, the polygraph test will be held to help them understand the case better but would not be admissible in court.

Meanwhile, the CBI is likely to conduct a polygraph test on the R G Kar Hospital’s former principal Sandip Ghosh and four other doctors. Ghosh has been questioned for more than 88 hours in the last week in connection with the R G Kar rape and murder case.

However, after the CBI urged the court for a polygraph test for five doctors including Dr Sandip Ghosh, a local Court has permitted that they can conduct a polygraph test of seven suspected persons at a time who were also accused in her rape-murder.