CBI arrests RG Kar ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and 3 others in ‘corruption’ case
Kolkata: The former principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh was arrested on Monday night by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged corruption linked to the hospital.
Alongside Sandip, the CBI has arrested three additional individuals: Suman Hazra, Biplab Singha, and Afsar Ali. Afsar served as Sandip’s bodyguard, while Suman and Biplab were involved in medical supply.
Sandip, who was grilled for the past 14 days was again summoned on Monday at the CGO Complex in Salt Lake for interrogation in connection with the rape and murder of the Post Graduate Trainee (PGT) doctor of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Later at night sometime around 8:30 pm, he was arrested by the officials of the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) of CBI and taken to the Nizam Palace.
After the arrest of Sandip, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose posted on her ‘X’ handle: “Former RG Kar Hospital principal Dr Sandip Ghosh arrested by CBI for alleged corruption. Good. Let law take its course. Reminder: the alleged murderer and rapist has already been arrested by Kolkata Police and CBI knows too that KP cracked the case in 24 hours. Justice will be done to the rape and murder victim. Will CBI admit to SC now that it was Kolkata Police which ensured swift and sure arrest? No POLITICS. Only JUSTICE. RG Kar Incident.”
Another Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh mentioned on his ‘X’ handle: “CBI is investigating the case. Probably arrested in corruption case. Sandip or his lawyer can say anything about this. The party has nothing to say. Some allegations had cropped up earlier. If steps would have been taken then, this discomforting situation could have been avoided by the Swasthya Bhavan.”
Earlier, an FIR was registered against Ghosh at the Tala Police Station based on a complaint filed by the Special Secretary of the Health department, Debal Kumar Ghosh.
In the complaint he had alleged that Sandip was involved in several illegal acts and the Health department had received several complaints against him recently. After a departmental investigation, it was found that there was a criminal nexus between Ghosh and certain unscrupulous contractors who were given contracts and work orders of several works violating the tender norms since 2022.
It was mentioned in the complaint that Sandip might have been receiving bribes for his acts from those contractors.
After registering the case, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was also formed by the Kolkata Police to probe the case. But on August 23, Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI probe into the alleged illegalities, including financial irregularities, based on the petition by the former deputy superintendent of RG Kar, Akhtar Ali who prayed for a probe by a central agency into multiple counts of alleged financial misconduct at the state-run institute during the tenure of Ghosh as a former principal.
Based on the court order, CBI registered a fresh FIR on charges of criminal conspiracy (120B IPC), and cheating (420 IPC) along with charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Sandip and three companies and started a probe. While probing, the ACB officials of CBI had conducted a raid at the residence of Sandip on August 25 and reportedly seized several documents.
Earlier, a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, Sanjoy Roy, was arrested by the Kolkata Police and handed over to the Central Agency in connection with the alleged rape and murder.
Meanwhile, when BJP leader Abhijit Ganguly reached the protest site of the junior doctors near Lalbazar, the agitating doctors shouted the go-back slogan to him. Taking to X, Trinamool posted: “Doctors showed @BJP4India their place! Foul-mouthed, misogynistic leaders like (in) Justice Ganguly have no place in Bengal. The BJP’s politics of propaganda to hijack the R G Kar tragedy stands exposed and their leaders are being shown the door!”
