The Impressive TimesKolkata 6 September 2024 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at multiple locations connected to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in connection with alleged financial irregularities at the institute. The raids were conducted at Ghosh’s residence in Beliaghata and at two other locations in Howrah and Subhasgram, targeting three of his associates as well. All four individuals, including Ghosh, are currently in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
An ED officer involved in the operation said, “We reached these places around 6.15 am and initiated our search operations.” The ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent to an FIR in criminal cases, as part of its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The financial irregularities came to light after the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation from a state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI. This decision was prompted by a petition from Dr. Akhtar Ali, former deputy superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, who sought an investigation into alleged financial misconduct during Ghosh’s tenure as principal. Dr. Ali expressed concerns that the corruption at the hospital could be linked to the suspicious death of a trainee doctor, suggesting that the victim might have been aware of the wrongdoing and had threatened to expose it.
Sandip Ghosh served as the principal of RG Kar from February 2021 to September 2023. He was briefly transferred from the post in October 2023 but was reinstated a month later. On September 2, the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch arrested Ghosh as part of its investigation into the financial irregularities. The arrest followed the High Court’s decision on August 23 to hand over the probe to the central agency. Meanwhile, Ghosh has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order for a CBI investigation. The ED’s probe under the PMLA focuses on the possibility of money laundering in connection with the alleged financial mismanagement at the hospital. The agency’s investigation is running parallel to the CBI’s inquiry into the case.
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