Special Team To Probe Corruption Charges Against Kolkata Hospital Ex-Head

The financial transactions at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College during the tenure of former Principal Sandip Ghosh will now be looked into following allegations of irregularities. An order from the West Bengal government said a Special Investigation Team has been formed to conduct the probe the alleged financial irregularities, and will submit a report within a month.

Sandip Ghosh, facing massive criticism over the rape-murder of a doctor in the hospital premises, is now being questioned by the CBI. 

A note from the government's Home and Hill Affairs Department Internal Security Branch, said the SIT, headed by Inspector General of Police Dr Pranav Kumar, will have the "liberty to access any relevant document from government departments and private agencies required for expeditious completion of the inquiry".

The team will look into the alleged financial irregularities in the period between January 2021 till date. 

"The SIT will submit its first report to the State Government within a month from the date of its constitution," the order read. 

The move came amid massive criticism over its transfer of the principal within hours of his resignation to the city's top medical college -- the National Medical College and Hospital.  The Opposition, civil society and the Calcutta High Court had heaped criticism on the state government over it. 

Questioning how can a Principal, who has failed in his duty to protect his students, be rewarded, the judges said, "Even assuming the resignation was not accepted, the least that can be expected from a responsible higher official of the concerned department is to immediately relieve the Principal from his duties and not assign him any other duty of equal responsibility".

The court has sent Ghosh on a long leave. 

The move to transfer Ghosh had put Mamata Banerjee's government on the backfoot, with women -- staunch supporters of the Chief Minister -- being up in arms over the rape-murder and the police handling of the case.

Stung by adverse comments on social media, Ghosh had stepped down not just from the post, but also government service. A government order four hours later announced his transfer to the National Medical College. 

He is now being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which has taken over the probe into the rape-murder that has sparked massive protests across the country.

The agency, sources said, has asked him multiple questions, including ones on hospital security and his resignation. He has also been asked why there was a hurry to declare the death a suicide, the contamination of the crime scene, and the sudden renovation of rooms near the seminar hall where the doctor's body was found.

Officials hinted that the former principal is yet to give satisfactory answers to these questions.

The CBI is also examining his call records and chat, and has asked him to provide details of his phone calls before and after the August 9 incident.