KP slaps cheating, corruption charges on RG Kar ex-principal
Times of India | 21 August 2024
Kolkata: Kolkata Police on Monday registered an FIR against Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, at the Tala police station, charging him with criminal conspiracy and cheating. A case has also been filed under Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 that deals with taking bribes for official acts.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint lodged by health department special secretary Debal Kumar Ghosh in June, said police, adding that the major allegations came from around April 2022.The police probe against Ghosh will be carried out by an SIT formed by Nabanna.
An official said Swasthya Bhawan approached police after a department inquiry found possible criminal nexus between Ghosh and “certain unscrupulous contractors”, which had resulted in “collusive bidding” for several work on the R G Kar premises. In his complaint, Debal had said, “This is to inform you that this department had received a complaint against Dr Sandip Ghosh, principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata with regard to financial irregularities in different procurements and allied matters. Upon examination of the complaint, it has transpired that there might be a criminal nexus between Ghosh and certain unscrupulous contractors leading to award of various works of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to them,” the complaint stated. “The findings have revealed collusive bidding or bid rigging leading to award of such work to a cafeteria...”
The SIT, which will probe the functioning of R G Kar from 2021 till now, the period when Ghosh was the principal, will check all the contracts awarded at the institute during these three years. While probing allegations of misappropriation of funds, the SIT is likely to seek help from CAs, said an official. The Kolkata Police—cops from the Tala PS in particular—will provide logistical help.
The SIT, according to a state official, will be headed by Pranab Kumar, inspector general (Training), who will be assisted by Syed Waquar Raza, deputy inspector general of Murshidabad range, Soma Mitra Das, DIG of the CID, and Indira Mukherjee, deputy commission (Central) of Kolkata Police. The state home department issued a notification, stating the SIT had been formed “to conduct inquiry/investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities at R G Kar during the period between Jan 2021 and till date.