Ex-colleague moves HC seeking ED probe into alleged financial irregularities by Former RG Kar Principal

Kolkata: Dr Akhtar Ali, former Deputy Superintendent at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital who recently came forward with big allegations against the former principal of the hospital Sandip Ghosh moved the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday seeking an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation against Ghosh.

Alleging that financial irregularities occurred during his tenure at the state-run facility, Dr Ali filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at the court after getting permission from a division bench of the Calcutta High Court.  

The Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya admitted the petition filed by the former Deputy Medical Superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Akhtar Ali. 

Ali had earlier claimed that he had complained against Ghosh in 2023 to the West Bengal government authorities but no action was taken against him. 

The petition has become significant since the West Bengal government earlier this week announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team comprising senior Indian Police Service officers which would be headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General, to prove the allegations of financial irregularities at the hospital under the command of Sandip Ghosh.

Also read- RG Kar Doctor rape-murder: Who is Dr Sandeep Ghosh? Former colleagues make host of allegations

Big allegations against Sandip Ghosh

Akhtar Ali told ANI that Sandip Ghosh is allegedly involved in scams like biomedical waste, illegally handling dead bodies, failing students and demanding bribes, awarding unnecessary tenders and operating illegal stall kiosks.

He said, "Today I have filed a case in the High Court, a criminal case, that case has been registered and its admission hearing is tomorrow. I have also appealed to the High Court for my safety and security because I am also getting threats. And this is a very big scam. Sandip Ghosh has a very big nexus which I want to expose."

"There are many scams like biomedical waste, dead bodies, failing students, taking money from them and giving illegal stall kiosks, unnecessary tenders etc. So there are many such regulations and dead body is also one of them. So I want its inquiry should be done at a high level and he should be punished and this racket should be exposed. Some dead bodies without the consent of the patient party, without the will and consent of forensic medicine HoD, he gave them in the workshop," he added.

He also alleged that Ghosh was previously accused, but no action was taken.

"So there was an inquiry committee against this, a complaint was also made in the National Commission, PIL was also done in the High Court but no action was taken against him. He was transferred twice but after being transferred, he sat on the post again," he said.

Akhat Ali, further said that he was transferred because he had exposed Sandip Ghosh and requested the CBI and ED to intervene.

"He is a corrupt man and he is like a mafia. When I saw the accused (arrested in the case) photos on TV, it suddenly came to my mind that this man used to work under Sandip Ghosh. So, I don't know if he knew him. But I had seen him with Dr Sandip Ghosh. I have asked CBI and ED to intervene because Sandip Ghosh is running a huge nexus. It is important to break it and expose it," he added.

Sandip Ghosh resigned from the position of principal at RG Kar Medical College alleging that he was being defamed on social media platforms following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the hospital premises.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force to make recommendations on the prevention of violence and safe working conditions for medical professionals. The task force includes Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, among others.

On August 9, a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered while on duty at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, sparking nationwide strikes and protests by the medical community.

Another petition filed by Ali

Apart from filing a PIL seeking ED probe against Ghosh, Ali also made another petition at the single-judge Bench of Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj seeking protection in anticipation of a security threat for coming out against Ghosh and the petition was admitted by Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj.

Ali had claimed to media persons that he intimated to the state Health Department two years ago about the financial irregularities at RG Kar Hospital, however, his initiative failed to evoke any response from them at that point in time.

That is precisely why he had approached the Calcutta High Court with a plea for a probe by a central agency, he claimed.

Opposition parties have already claimed that the formation of the SIT by the state government was nothing but eyewash and it had been created not to reveal the truth behind the financial irregularities at the hospital but rather with the motive of destroying evidence in the matter.

Ghosh is currently on leave after the Calcutta High Court last week gave a clear instruction to the state Health Department not to appoint him as the head of any medical college in the state until further orders.

Also read- Kolkata Doctor Death Case: West Bengal Govt removes Suhrita Paul, Appoints Prof Manas Kumar Bandopadhyay as new Principal