Informist, Friday, Sep 6, 2024

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court today dismissed the petition of Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, against the Calcutta High Court's order to transfer the probe into financial irregularities at the hospital during his tenure to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Ghosh had said the court had ordered the CBI probe without giving him an opportunity to be heard.

The Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said, "As an accused, you(Ghosh) have no locus to intervene in a PIL(public interest litigation) when the High Court is monitoring the investigation and transferring to the CBI/SIT(special investigation team)..." Advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for Ghosh, contested the high court's observation linking the financial irregularities at the hospital with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on Aug 9. "Let us not stultify the investigation. We are also asking the CBI to file status reports before us," said the apex court.

Transferring the probe into alleged corruption at the hospital to the CBI on Aug 23, the high court had said the investigation should not be fragmented between different agencies and handing it over to the CBI would ensure consistency. The probe agency arrested Ghosh on Monday over alleged financial misconduct in the medical establishment.

R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital has been in the eye of the storm since Aug 9, when a 31-year-old junior doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of the hospital. Reports later confirmed that the junior doctor was raped and murdered, triggering a nationwide protest by doctors. On Aug 13, the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe into the rape and murder case to the CBI. Even the Supreme Court took suo moto cognisance of the incident, and formed a national task force to recommend steps for the safety and better working conditions of medical professionals.

In July 2023, Akhtar Ali, the deputy superintendent (non-medical) at R.G. Kar Medical College had lodged a complaint to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Anti Corruption Branch, West Bengal, to expose the persistent irregularities in the ethical practices and operations of the hospital from 2020-23. Ali had said that the hospital's principal Dr Sandip Ghosh and others were involved in corruption and illegal activities in the institute.

Ali had moved the high court demanding an explanation behind the constitution of a special investigation team by the state government on Aug 16 to probe into the allegations of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar Medical College, subsequent to the unfortunate incident of rape and murder of the junior doctor on Aug 9. The formation of a special investigation team substantiates the allegations of gross irregularities and establishes a nexus with the unfortunate incident that necessitated its constitution to investigate the said irregularities, Ali had said. End

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Manisha Baxla

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