West Bengal Health Department removed Sandip Ghosh from his post as Principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital. Ghosh is under investigation in connection with the rape and murder of post-graduate doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Ghosh had previously resigned as Principal of RG Kar Medical College after facing intense public backlash over the case. His removal from his current role comes following an order by the Calcutta High Court, which directed him to go on long leave.
The Health Department has also taken action, removing Suhrita Paul, who had succeeded Ghosh at RG Kar Medical College.
The CBI continued its questioning of former RG Kar Hospital Principal Sandip Ghosh for the sixth consecutive day. The agency has also summoned several senior officials from the hospital, including the current superintendent and Vice-Principal Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, as well as her predecessor Sanjay Vasishth. Mukhopadhyay previously served as the Dean of Student Affairs.
Sources cited by PTI indicated that, as the CBI prepares to submit its progress report to the Supreme Court on August 22, investigators are working to resolve discrepancies in Ghosh’s statements.
Earlier, Akhtar Ali, a former deputy superintendent at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, accused Sandip Ghosh of engaging in several illicit activities, including selling unclaimed bodies, trafficking medical waste, and accepting bribes from students.
In an interview with News18, Ali alleged that Ghosh operated a network within the hospital, generating substantial income from these illegal activities. Ali claimed that he had alerted various authorities, including the vigilance department, about Ghosh’s misconduct in 2023, but no action was taken.
Ali said revealed that Ghosh sold bio-medical waste, such as gloves and syringes, to his Bangladeshi contacts, in stark opposition of the rules which state that such waste can only be handed out to authorised centres for proper disposal and recycling.
On August 19, the Bengal government established a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the alleged financial irregularities.
On August 20, the Supreme Court sharply criticized the West Bengal government for the delay in filing an FIR in the brutal rape and murder case of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The court has mandated the establishment of a national task force to enhance safety for doctors across the country.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, who led the bench that took suo moto notice of the incident, emphasized that if women cannot safely go to work, it undermines their right to equality.
The Supreme Court also instructed the West Bengal government to submit a status report by August 22 detailing the progress of the investigation into the mob attack at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The post-graduate trainee doctor's body was discovered in a seminar room at RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer, was arrested by the Kolkata Police the following day. However, dissatisfaction with the initial investigation prompted the Calcutta High Court to transfer the case to the CBI. The shocking incident has sparked widespread outrage and nationwide protests among healthcare workers, who are calling for improved security measures. The case has intensified concerns about women's safety in medical institutions.
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