Non-Bailable Charges Against Kolkata Hospital's Ex-Chief In Corruption Case

The First Information Report against Sandip Ghosh, the former Principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College, has cleared the decks for his eventual arrest. Ghosh -- who is in the eye of the storm over the rape-murder of a young doctor in the hospital premises - has not been named in the rape-murder case. But the corruption charges against him are non-bailable, meaning once arrested, he will not be out of jail easily.

The corruption case was filed after the Central agency took over the investigation on Saturday on the orders of the Calcutta High Court.  

While the initial corruption allegations against him were levelled by former Deputy Superintendent of RG Kar Hospital Akhtar Ali, the push came after the rape-murder case, which has sparked massive public outrage. 

There were questions whether the rape-murder was linked to the alleged corruption at the institution under the stewardship of Sandip Ghosh. 

As protests spread over the rape-murder, Akhtar Ali had filed an appeal in High Court, requesting that the Enforcement Directorate investigate the alleged financial misconduct.

The CBI, which carried out a massive, 11-hour search at the home of Sandip Ghosh yesterday, have said they have detected a wealth of evidence. 

In his appeal to the High Court, Akhtar Ali has accused Sandip Ghosh of illegal sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste and passing tenders against the commission paid by medicine and medical equipment suppliers. Students were pressured to pay amounts ranging between Rs 5 and 8 lakh to pass exams, he further alleged. 

Ghosh has been questioned by the CBI for 10 straight days and has even undergone a polygraph test.  He was questioned yesterday about the financial irregularities.