PG Medico Rape-Murder Case: ED to probe financial irregularities at RG Kar Hospital
Kolkata: In a recent development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case to probe the alleged financial irregularities at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, focusing on the tenure of former and controversial Principal Sandip Ghosh.
The ED has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) to look into financial irregularities that occurred during Ghosh’s tenure.
According to an IANS report, sources aware of the development said that the ECIR will be filed on the basis of the first information report (FIR) filed in the matter by the officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who have already started a probe into the matter, following an order from a single-judge bench of Calcutta High Court last week.
ED, the investigation arm of the Union Ministry of Finance, will now probe the money laundering angle in the case, sources said.
ED always has greater flexibility than CBI in starting an investigation in any case. While CBI can enter the investigation scene only under two circumstances, the first being standing clearance from the state government concerned and the second being a court order, there are no such restrictions on ED in such matters.
As a result, Ghosh and his associates at RG Kar Medical College will face dual scrutiny—first from the CBI and then from the ED.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), investigating the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, began interrogating former principal Sandip Ghosh and former medical superintendent and vice principal Sanjay Vashisth on Monday.
Ghosh, whose Beliaghata residence was searched by CBI officers on Sunday, appeared at the central agency’s office in Salt Lake on Monday morning with files and documents, an officer of the agency said.
The FIR registered by CBI includes the names of Ghosh and three business entities, namely Maa Tara Traders, Ehsan Café and Kham Louha. The three entities are being perceived as beneficiaries of the alleged financial scam.
As per findings of CBI, sources said that Maa Tara Traders enjoyed a virtual monopoly in supplying different medical equipment to R.G. Kar because of the closeness of its proprietor with Ghosh.
CBI is carrying out a multi-angle investigation in the matter of financial irregularities at state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital involving 15 specific charges of fund fudging, sources said, news agency IANS reported.
The main allegation is the tendering of different contracts to private and outsourced parties without getting the necessary approval from the state health department and the college council.
