KOLKATA: The CBI on Monday arrested the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh in connection with the alleged financial misconduct at the establishment, officials said.
Ghosh was questioned for the 15th day at the agency's Salt Lake office over the alleged rape and murder of the RG Kar hospital postgraduate trainee on August 9.
He was later escorted to the CBI's Nizam Palace office in Kolkata, which houses the agency's anti-corruption wing, and was shown as arrested.
As soon as the news broke of Ghosh's arrest, junior doctors who had been protesting against the Kolkata doctor rape celebrated in happiness.
The hospital's former deputy superintendent Dr Akhtar Ali had lodged complaints of financial irregularities on multiple counts at the establishment during Ghosh's tenure as principal.
Ghosh had resigned as the principal of the RG Kar Medical College two days after the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor’s body was found inside a seminar hall on August 9.
However, the state government had appointed him immediately as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, resulting in backlash from students.
Ghosh was eventually asked to go on leave by the state government after the Calcutta HC intervened and questioned his reappointment.
The agitating junior doctors and protestors across social and political circles of the state have accused the Mamata Banerjee administration of "shielding" Ghosh by not issuing a suspension order.
Earlier, the Supreme Court, which took suo moto cognisance of the Kolkata doctor rape case, had rapped Ghosh for 'passing off' the crime as suicide.
The former RG Kar principal is also being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over money laundering charges.
Ghosh served as principal of RG Kar Medical College from February 2021 to September 2023. He was transferred from RG Kar in October that year but inexplicably returned to that position within a month. He held his position at the hospital till the day the hospital doctor was found murdered.
Ali had moved the High Court amid fervent speculations in the public domain on whether the alleged rampant corruption at the institution was in any way connected to the RG Kar medic's death, with possibilities of the victim remaining privy to those and threatening exposure.
Ali had also alleged that his complaints before the state vigilance commission and anti-corruption bureau filed over a year ago against Ghosh yielded little results and, instead, led to his own transfer from the institution.
In his plea before the high court, Ali accused Ghosh of illegal sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste and passing tenders against commission paid by medicine and medical equipment suppliers.
Ali also alleged that students were pressured to pay amounts ranging between Rs 5 and 8 lakhs to pass exams.
A day after the case of corruption was transferred to the CBI, the agency, on August 24, named Ghosh in an FIR and slapped section 120B of the IPC (criminal conspiracy) which is to be read with section 420 of the IPC (cheating and dishonesty) and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The cases read together account for cognizable offences and are non-bailable in nature, a senior Calcutta High Court lawyer confirmed.
Besides Ghosh, the CBI also registered cases against one M/s Ma Tara Traders of Madhya Jorehat, Banipur, Howrah, M/s Eshan Café of 4/1, H/1, JK Ghosh Road, Belgachhia, Kolkata and one M/s Khama Louha.
The CBI on August 25 had conducted a day-long search operation at Ghosh's Beliaghata residence in north-east Kolkata in connection with the corruption cases.
Two rounds of polygraph tests were also conducted on him by the agency sleuths in connection with the rape and murder probe.