Doctor rape-murder: CBI searches former R G Kar principal's home, raids multiple locations over financial irregularities
Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday carried out raids in multiple locations in and around Kolkata, continuing its probe into allegations of corruption and irregularities at the city’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, where the recent rape and murder of a young doctor triggered nationwide outrage.
The CBI officials raided at least 15 locations, including the residence of Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, who was already being questioned by the officials of the central agency in connection with the rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor.
The officials of the central agency turned up at the residence of Dr Ghosh at Beleghata in central Kolkata early in the morning. They, however, had to wait for almost an hour and 15 minutes as no one answered the doorbell. Dr Ghosh later came out and, a bit later, the CBI officials entered his residence.
The Calcutta High Court on August 13 ordered the CBI to take over from the Kolkata Police the probe into the rape and murder of the 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor, who was found dead at the Seminal Room of the Department of Chest Medicine on the fourth floor of the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital run by the government of West Bengal.
The court on August 23 also ordered the CBI to take over from a Special Investigation Team, constituted by the Government of West Bengal, the probe into the allegations of corruption and irregularities at the RGKMCH.
Not only Dr Ghosh’s residence but the CBI officials also raided the administrative and academic buildings of the RGKMCH till late in the evening.
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Dr Ghosh, who was purportedly close to the leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress, came under scanner after the rape and murder of the young doctor triggered widespread outrage, with her colleagues continuing a ‘cease work’ protest alleging a cover-up attempt by the RGKMCH authorities and the Kolkata Police.
The outrage also brought to the fore the alleged corruption and financial irregularities at the medical college and hospital, particularly during the tenure of Dr Ghosh as principal.
The CBI officials on Sunday also raided the residence of Dr Debasish Som, a demonstrator at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at the RGKMCH, at Kestopur in North 24 Parganas district of the state.
Dr Som, along with his wife, later in the evening drove to the CBI office in his car, followed by the agency officials in another vehicle. Besides, the residence of Dr Sanjay Vashisth, the former medical superintendent and vice principal of the RGKMCH, at Entally in central Kolkata was raided by the CBI officials too.
The probe by the agency also covered several individuals and business establishments having contracts to supply medicines and medical equipment and set up eateries at the RGKMCH.
Dr Ghosh resigned as the principal of the RGKMCH on August 12 in the wake of the widespread protest by the colleagues of the deceased doctors. But, just a few hours later, he was appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College, where the students did not allow him to take over. The Calcutta High Court later asked him to go on long leave. Dr Vashisth was also transferred from the RGKMCH to the CNMC.
Dr Akhtar Ali, a former deputy superintendent of the RGKMCH, had moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking an investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement of the Union Ministry of Finance into the allegations of corruption and irregularities at the 138-year-old institution.
Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj of the High Court on August 23 ordered the CBI to take over the probe from the SIT, which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government had constituted in the wake of the allegations by protesting doctors against Dr Ghosh and his close associates.
Dr Ghosh was already questioned by the CBI for more than a week and underwent a polygraph test on Saturday.