RG Kars former principal Sandip Ghosh had ‘criminal nexus’ with co-accused: CBI in corruption case

News from Calcutta: Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, had a “criminal nexus” with other co-accused for “unlawful enrichment”, according to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the rape and murder of a junior doctor and alleged financial irregularities at a government institution in West Bengal. In its submissions to a special court, the CBI alleged that two suppliers, whom Ghosh knew from his days at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, reportedly benefited from awarding hospital contracts after he moved to Kolkata.

The agency filed the chargesheet on September 3 before the special court in Alipur, where Ghosh was produced along with three other accused after their arrest, The Indian Express reported. Apart from Ghosh, Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra and Afsar Ali are in CBI custody in connection with the corruption case.

According to the report, the CBI claimed that a company owned by the wife of Ghosh's security adviser Afsar Ali had won a cafe contract from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. It also said that two salesmen (Singha and Hazra) whom Ghosh knew from his days in Murshidabad had “benefited” from the award of the hospital contracts after he moved to Kolkata.

“The evidence collected during the investigation so far has established that Dr. Sandip Ghosh, in criminal association with other co-accused, has illegally caused wrongful damage to the government and has obtained corresponding unlawful gains for himself and other accused,” the agency said, according to the IE report.

According to the agency, the investigation revealed that the vendors Singha and Hazra are close acquaintances of Ghosh. “After his transfer to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH), (Ghosh) brought these two vendors to RGKMCH where they started and continued supplying materials. It has been found that all of them were in frequent contact with each other, which substantiates the allegation of criminal nexus as in the FIR,” the CBI said.

The agency is also probing Ali's role in the alleged sale of biomedical waste. “Dr. Sandip Ghosh favored his close associate Afsar Ali Khan in awarding a contract for a cafe on the premises of RGKMCH. The said contract was signed between RGKMCH and M/s Eshan Cafe. Nargis Khanum without Afsar Ali Khan is the owner of this company. However, Afsar Ali Khan manages all the affairs of this company. The contract to M/s Eshan Cafe was awarded in advance as it was the only eligible company out of a total of four bidders which fulfilled the technical criteria to participate in the tender,” the court was told.

Ghosh's tenure

From 2016 to 2018, Ghosh was at the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. Towards the end of 2018, he was transferred to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital and remained there until February 2021, when he took over as the head of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. In September 2023, he was transferred back to the Murshidabad Institute, but returned to the RG Kar campus within a month and remained there until the August 9 incident.

#REGARD | West Bengal: The emergency room team leaves the residence of former principal of RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, Sandip Ghosh.

The ED today conducted a raid at Sandip Ghosh's residence and some other places. A case of PMLA was registered in the financial irregularities case. … pic.twitter.com/gccXcr5Fiq

— ANI (@ANI) 6 September 2024

Ghosh resigned on August 12 following massive outrage over the rape and murder of a junior doctor on the hospital premises and was immediately transferred to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital. The next day, the Calcutta High Court intervened and sent him on leave. He was suspended after his arrest by the CBI.