Ex-Principal of RG Kar Hospital Arrested: Students Demand Justice Amid Major Corruption Probe
In what can be termed the latest development, Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, was arrested on Monday, September 2, by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a corruption-related case. The arrest came after two investigations were started on the orders of the Calcutta High Court. The cases pertain to the heinous rape and murder of a junior doctor on August 9 and alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Hospital.
CBI Nabs Several Suspects
Following the arrest of Sandip Ghosh, the CBI has tracked down three other suspects in connection with the graft case: a vendor named Biplav Singha, 52 years of age; Suman Hazara, another vendor, who is 46 years old; and Afsar Ali, who is 44 years old and was attached as additional security to Dr. Sandip Ghosh. These arrests reveal that the investigation is taking on gigantic dimensions to unearth the strong network involved in corruption and misdeeds at one of Kolkata’s premier medical institutions.
Kolkata Witnesses Student Demonstrations: Students take to the streets, protest the killing of the trainee doctor. It was a protest outside the Lal Bazar Police Station, where students were seen demanding suspension of the Kolkata Commissioner of Police. The students, angry and distraught visibly, held placards and shouted slogans for both police and hospital administration to take responsibility for whatever happened.
Their grievances are not just restricted to the handling of the murder case but also on the broader issues of corruption and safety within the premises of the hospital. The students have accused the administration of having shunned their responsibility to protect the inmates of the institution-a fact that led to such a heinous crime being committed.
Investigative Measures: Lie Detector Tests and More
The CBI investigation into the rape and murder case has, so far, culminated in the arrest of a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, Sanjay Roy, accused of being involved in the crime. In order to lend credence to the investigation, the CBI has conducted polygraph tests-once famously called lie detector test-on Sandip Ghosh and four other doctors in connection with the case. These tests are expected to be vital in providing some insight and may corroborate or refute testimonies and evidence collected so far.
These polygraph tests come as part of the broad effort in unmasking the truth behind the murder and bringing perpetrators to account for their actions in the death of the trainee doctor. This kind of forensic technique shows the gravity with which the CBI is taking the case, searching for justice for the victim and her family.
Financial Misconduct Allegations: A Deepening Scandal
The CBI FIR against Sandip Ghosh is based on a complaint from one Debal Kumar Ghosh, special secretary to the state health department. It enumerates various alleged financial misdeeds, including several businesses: M/s Ma Tara Traders, M/s Eshan Cafe, and M/s Khama Louha, suspected of suspicious fraudulent activities related to the running of the hospital.
The charges of financial misdemeanor against Sandip Ghosh are serious: selling unclaimed bodies, trafficking in biomedical waste, and forcing students to pay bribes to pass their examinations. These allegations have cast a dark shadow over his already controversial tenure as principal, particularly following his removal and subsequent reinstatement in the wake of the rape and murder incident.
Enforcement Directorate Steps In
Further compounding the legal troubles of one Sandip Ghosh, the Enforcement Directorate has launched a probe on the financial scams in RG Kar Hospital being administered during the tenure of Ghosh. Notably, the ED has filed an ECIR against money laundering activities on the part of the administration of the hospital during the tenure of Ghosh.
As though that was not enough, this action by the ED is in continuation of an FIR lodged by the CBI. If these two Central agencies have moved in, then the charges have to be very serious, and the alleged corruption humongous. The investigation by the ED in money flow and therefore probable laundering of illicit gains, to put it mildly, has embroiled Ghosh into legal wrangles from more than one quarter.
Response by the Indian Medical Association
For such serious allegations, the Indian Medical Association carried out a major step towards this and also suspended his membership on 28th August. The IMA Bengal State branch said that, along with other doctor associations, they had asked for action to be taken because his alleged involvement in these crimes brought disrepute to the medical fraternity.
The seriousness of the charges against Ghosh is highlighted by the fact that IMA has even suspended his membership. This is a statement in itself about the concern in the medical fraternity at large with regard to upholding high ethical standards and the integrity of the profession.
Conclusion
The arrest of Sandip Ghosh and follow-up actions by CBI and ED mark a watershed moment in the fight against corruption within Kolkata’s medical sector. The continuous investigation over the murder and the financial scam actually throws light on how transparency and accountability are in demand in any institution. The case is still unfolding, with demands from student and medical communities for justice, the effects of which would ripple through the very functioning and accountability of medical institutions in India.
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