Kolkata: Sandip Ghosh, the Former RG KAR Principal of a Kolkata hospital where a doctor was tragically raped and murdered last month, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following an extensive two-week interrogation.
The arrest stems from allegations of financial misconduct during his tenure, which are being probed by the central agency alongside the ongoing investigation into the rape-murder case.
As the former head of RG Kar Medical College, where the doctor’s body was discovered on August 9, Ghosh’s actions have been heavily scrutinized.
His failure to file a First Information Report (FIR) immediately after the incident raised questions, including from the Supreme Court.
The court criticized Ghosh and expressed concern over his transfer to another hospital shortly after he resigned under public pressure.
The court suggested that instead of taking up a new position, Ghosh should take an extended leave. The CBI took over the rape-murder investigation following a Calcutta High Court order and began questioning Ghosh on August 16, with each session lasting between 10 to 14 hours.
After the High Court also handed over the financial irregularities case to the CBI, the agency conducted a search of Ghosh’s home on August 25. An official indicated that substantial evidence had been collected.
Ghosh has undergone two polygraph tests as part of the investigation. As public protests escalated, former Deputy Superintendent of RG Kar Hospital, Akhtar Ali, filed a petition in the High Court, requesting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate the alleged financial misconduct.
Ali accused Ghosh of various illegal activities, including the unlawful sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste, and accepting commissions from medicine and medical equipment suppliers in exchange for contracts.
He also alleged that students were coerced into paying between ₹5 and ₹8 lakh to pass their exams. The Indian Medical Association has already suspended Ghosh, and his appointment to the prestigious Calcutta National Medical College led to backlash, with students barring him from entering the Principal’s office well before the Supreme Court’s order.
