Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday carried out a raid at the residence of former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh in Kolkata in connection with a corruption probe.
The CBI is also carrying out searches at 14 other locations linked to the case. The development comes a day after the CBI registered a case of alleged financial irregularities at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College, where a trainee doctor was raped and murdered on August 9.
The agency took over the investigation from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the West Bengal government on the directions of Calcutta High Court.
The high court which had already handed over the probe into the rape and murder of the medico also transferred the probe of financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during the tenure of former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh to the CBI “in the interest of ensuring a comprehensive and unbiased inquiry”.
The court had passed the order on a plea filed by Dr Akhtar Ali, who was the hospital’s deputy superintendent till 2023.
Ali moved the high court on Wednesday to request an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the alleged malpractices and financial scams that surfaced during Ghosh’s tenure.
In his plea, Ali has accused Ghosh of illegally using unclaimed corpses, illegally selling biomedical waste, and passing tenders against the commission paid by medicine and medical equipment suppliers. Ali has also alleged that students were pressured to pay amounts ranging between Rs.5 and 8 lakhs to pass exams.
“In July 2023, I lodged a written complaint at the state vigilance commission, but no action was taken against Ghosh. I want everybody involved in the racket exposed,” Ali had said after filing the petition.
The medical college made headlines following the alleged rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor in a seminar hall on August 9. The prime suspect, Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer working for the Kolkata Police, was arrested on August 10, and is currently in custody.
