CBI charges former RG Kar principal in financial fraud, court holds back chargesheet: Report

The chargesheet comes nearly three months after Ghosh’s arrest on September 2. The financial fraud, which allegedly spanned over three years, included rigged tenders for procuring medical equipment.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a chargesheet in connection with financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, naming its former principal, Sandip Ghosh, as the prime accused, according to PTI. However, the Special CBI court in Alipore did not accept the chargesheet due to the absence of mandatory approval required for prosecuting state government employees, an official cited by PTI said.

The 100-page chargesheet also names four others arrested in connection with the alleged fraud: Biplab Singh, Afsar Ali, Suman Hazra, and Ashish Pandey. The CBI has reportedly attached over 1,000 pages of documents to substantiate its findings.

“Besides Ghosh, who has been suspended, the chargesheet lists the names of the other four accused arrested during the investigation,” a CBI official told PTI.

The chargesheet comes nearly three months after Ghosh’s arrest on September 2. The financial fraud, which allegedly spanned over three years, included rigged tenders for procuring medical equipment. Ghosh is accused of aiding close associates in securing these tenders, according to investigators.

Another official explained to PTI, “The West Bengal government’s approval is necessary for filing chargesheets against state employees. In this case, the approval is still pending. Both Ghosh and Pandey are doctors employed by the state-run hospital.”

The alleged financial misconduct at RG Kar Hospital made headlines in August after the body of an on-duty doctor was discovered in the hospital's seminar room. Subsequently, on August 23, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation from the state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI.

The probe followed allegations raised by Dr. Akhtar Ali, a former deputy superintendent of the hospital, who petitioned the court for a thorough investigation into financial misconduct during Ghosh’s tenure. Ali accused Ghosh of various illegal activities, including the sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste, and receiving commissions in exchange for passing tenders.