The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers swooped in on the residence of Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Friday in connection with the probe into financial irregularities at the institute.
The central agency has slapped a case of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Ghosh. Besides Ghosh's, the residences of three of his associates are being raided by the ED officials.
The ED officials arrived at Ghosh's Beleghata house around 6:30 am on Friday. However, the gate to the residence was locked, reminiscent of the CBI inspection which saw the Ghosh make them wait for 75 minutes before finally opening the doors. However, Ghosh is currently in CBI custody and it is not clear whether his family members were there inside, reported local media.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: Enforcement Directorate raid underway at the residence of former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh. ED had registered a case of PMLA in the financial irregularities case. Ghosh is presently in the custody of CBI pic.twitter.com/yIbGjextRO
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
#WATCH | Howrah, West Bengal: Enforcement Directorate raid underway at the residence of former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh's close aide. ED had registered a case of PMLA in the financial irregularities case. Ghosh is presently in the custody of CBI pic.twitter.com/1uQpHULTb5
— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2024
The investigators waited for some time before returning to the CGO complex. They returned around 9 am and after a brief wait, they gained access to Ghosh's house around 9:15.
The ED team was accompanied by security personnel who surrounded Ghosh's house in no time.
After waiting for some time, the investigators returned to the CGO complex with the vehicle. Come back later. After waiting for some time the lock was opened. Investigators entered Sandeep's house at 9:15 am.
The raids were carried out at Ghosh's residence in Beliaghata and at two locations in Howrah and Subhasgram. All four are already in CBI custody. Local media reports say Biplab Singha's house in Howrah and Prasoon Chattopadhyay's house in Subhashgram are also being searched.
Prasoon worked as a data entry operator at the National Medical College While Singha is the co-accused in the case filed by CBI. He ran a medical equipment firm which allegedly benefited from the corrupt deals carried out by Ghosh.
The ED has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Ghosh, which is analogous to a First Information Report (FIR) in criminal cases.
Ghosh served as principal from February 2021 to September 2023. He was briefly transferred from RG Kar in October 2023 but was reinstated within a month.
The probe into the financial irregularities was launched after a petition was filed in Calcutta High Court raising concerns that the corruption at RG Kar hospital might be linked to the doctor's death.
