The former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh was running a criminal nexus for wrongful gains, the Central Bureau of Investigation probing financial irregularities at the hospital charged.
The central agency recently arrested Sandip Ghosh, his security guard and two vendors in connection with a financial irregularities case. The CBI charged various contracts were granted to the vendors only because of their proximity with the former principal.
"These two vendors were known to Ghosh since he was with the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. We have found that they granted the contracts of RG Kar MCH only because of their proximity with Ghosh," a CBI officer told PTI. Ghosh served at Murshidabad Hospital from 2016 to 2018.
The central agency’s probe revealed Ghosh favoured organisation where his security guard’s wife worked to award cafe contract. CBI said the vendors, who closely worked with Ghosh, were brought to Kolkata from Murshidabad by the former principal for wrongful gains. "Both these vendors were in Murshidabad and Ghosh brought them to Kolkata when he was made the principal of the RG Kar hospital. They were favoured for supply of materials to the hospital," the CBI officer said.
Charges of financial irregularities at RG Kar MCH came to fore following the death of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at the hospital earlier this month. The Enforcement Directorate, which is also probing financial irregularities at the hospital recently arrested Ghosh’s key aide Prashun Chatterjee.
The 31-year-old junior doctor was raped and murdered while on duty and her body was discovered at the seminar hall on the third floor of the hospital on August 9. Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer was arrested the following day.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Medical Council is considering cancelling Ghosh’s medical license and has issued a show-cause notice to him. “Dr Ghosh has been served with a show-cause notice. We have given him three days to reply," a Council official told PTI. The notice has been issued over his arrest by CBI in financial irregularities case.
The Council has also advised three key close aides of Ghosh – Dr Avik Dey, a former resident medical officer of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Dr Birupaksha Biswas, a former senior doctor of the same institution and Dr Mustafizur Rahaman Mallick, a junior medic of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital – to refrain from activities of the body.
Reportedly, Council has received complaints against the three doctors and they are accused of threatening other medics at several state-run hospitals.