RG Kar corruption case: CBI probe unearths 'criminal nexus' involving ex-principal

RG Kar College and Hospital’s ex-principal Sandip Ghosh has been operating a "criminal nexus” along with the other "co-accused” for “wrongful gains”, according to initial findings of the CBI’s probe into financial anomalies at the medical establishment in Kolkata, an officer claimed on Saturday.

The central probe agency had also placed the findings before a special court in Kolkata during a hearing earlier in the week, he said.

The CBI had arrested Ghosh, two vendors, and his security person for their alleged involvement in financial irregularities at the state-run hospital, where the rape-murder of a young doctor had triggered nationwide protests.

Favoured aides

"These (two) vendors were known to Ghosh since he was with the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. We have found that they were granted the contracts of RGKMC&H (RG Kar Medical College and Hospital) only because of their proximity with Ghosh," the officer said.

Ghosh was posted at the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital for two years from 2016 to 2018. He was subsequently transferred to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital, where he was posted till February 2021 before taking charge of RGKMC&H.

The CBI’s probe also revealed how Ghosh “favoured” the organisation belonging to his security guard's wife by awarding the contract of a cafe inside the hospital, he said.

"Both these vendors were in Murshidabad and Ghosh brought them to Kolkata when he was made the principal of the RG Kar hospital. They were favoured for supply of materials to the hospital," the officer said.

Criminal nexus

"It is revealed that they all have been frequently in touch with each other, which corroborates the allegation of criminal nexus as in the FIR,” the CBI had said in its submission in the special court in Alipore on September 3.

“Evidence collected during (the) investigation conducted so far, has revealed that Dr Ghosh, in criminal nexus with other co-accused persons, by way of illegal means, caused wrongful loss to the government and corresponding wrongful gain to himself and other accused persons," the central agency said.

The CBI also claimed that the "letters of work order used to be addressed to different officers of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, but these were never handed over to them".

The probe agency, the officer said, is also investigating the role of Ghosh’s security guard as "he was the person who used to contact vendors to sell the biomedical waste of the hospital". (With agency inputs)