Kolkata: CBI officers on Friday questioned former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh at their office late into the night. The development came a while after Calcutta High Court posted Ghosh's plea, seeking protection for him and his family, for hearing on Monday.
Ghosh had resigned as principal on Monday, only to be put in charge of another state-run medical college and hospital around four hours later.A day later, the high court, expressing shock, had commented on Ghosh's "power", and ordered him to go on a long leave.
On Friday, he was stopped by CBI officers near City Centre, Salt Lake, asked to get out of his car, and taken to the CBI office at the CGO Complex. At the time of going to press, more than 10 hours after he was taken in, he was still being questioned.
Summoned by CBI, he had earlier told them that he needed "protection", as he feared for his safety.
According to a version provided by his lawyer Biswarup Bhattacharya, Ghosh chose to go to the agency's office on his own after the HC refused to pay heed to his plea for protection, but was stopped and escorted to the office before he could reach.
While Ghosh did not respond to a barrage of questions from the media, Bhattacharya said: "There is nothing wrong in the process. He was going to the CBI office on his own." Bhattacharya said Ghosh would have joined the investigation earlier, but he was concerned about the safety of his family members.
"This is an investigation into the death of a doctor and Ghosh is not involved in that. But it is being blown out of proportion now," Bhattacharya added.
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Earlier during the day, CBI officers questioned Sanjay Vashisth, the suspended MSVP of R G Kar, for the second day straight. The head of the chest medicine department, Arunava Datta Chowdhury, also joined the probe.
Three members of the SIT formed by Kolkata Police also entered the CGO Complex office, carrying documents. According to CBI sources, 32 persons were questioned by the officials on Friday. Meanwhile, another CBI team reached the hospital to prepare a digital blueprint of the site where the rape-murder occurred. They carried 3D laser scanners to record digital blueprints of the site.
Earlier in the day, when Ghosh's family approached the high court, a division bench headed by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam asked the government pleader to let state police escort him to attend the CBI office. The petition claimed that on the intervening night of August 14 and 15, a crowd had allegedly surrounded Ghosh's house, threatening him. It was stated during the hearing that Ghosh wanted to cooperate with the investigation but needed some protection to go to the CBI office.
"We had made a prima facie observation that your client (Ghosh) is a very powerful person," Sivagnanam said. "Do not worry, the police will give you adequate protection. If that does not happen, inform us, we will request the central forces to guard your house." The bench on Friday reiterated an observation made by it in an earlier hearing. The case was again filed before a single bench of Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj. Hearing is scheduled on Monday.