Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a chargesheet in the RG Kar Hospital financial irregularities case, naming former principal Sandip Ghosh as the prime accused, an official said. However, the Special CBI Court in Alipore refused to accept the chargesheet due to the lack of mandatory approval required for filing charges against a state government employee.
The chargesheet, spanning over 100 pages, also implicates four others who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the case.
“In addition to Ghosh (currently suspended), the chargesheet includes the names of Biplab Singh, Afsar Ali, Suman Hazra, and Ashish Pandey. The CBI has also submitted around 1,000 pages of supporting documents as evidence in the case,” the official stated.
A second official explained, “Approval from the West Bengal government is essential to file charges against its employees. In this case, the necessary approval has not been granted. Both Ghosh and Pandey are doctors at the state-run hospital.”
The chargesheet was filed almost three months after Ghosh’s arrest on September 2, following allegations of financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The issue garnered national attention after the body of an on-duty medic was discovered in a seminar room in August.
The financial irregularities, reportedly ongoing for over three years, involved rigging tenders for purchasing medical equipment. Ghosh allegedly facilitated the awarding of tenders to close associates.
Ghosh was suspended 26 days after the medic’s death. On August 23, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation from the state-formed Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI. The decision came after a petition by Dr. Akhtar Ali, former deputy superintendent of the hospital, who sought an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into multiple allegations of financial misconduct during Ghosh’s tenure.
Dr. Ali accused Ghosh of offenses including the illegal sale of unclaimed corpses, trafficking of biomedical waste, and accepting commissions for awarding tenders for medicines and medical equipment.
