Kolkata: CBI's financial scam probe opens Pandora's box of corruption and graft at RG Kar Hospital
Times of India | 9 September 2024
A file pic of Sandip Ghosh’s house KOLKATA: The probe into the alleged financial irregularities in RG Kar Medical College & Hospital has now opened up a Pandora's Box of scams by a "criminal nexus" across levels at the hospital that minted money in various ways, from tender rigging to biomedical waste scam.
In the past 16 days of its probe, central investigating agencies have arrested four - former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and his three close associates Afsar Ali Khan, Biplav Singha and Suman Hazra - and conducted searches at over a dozen places.The agencies retrieved complaints against the hospital management, internal enquiry reports, office files, documents related to tender rigging and unearthed a "clout of contractors" that ran rackets - from stealing medicines to smuggling used medical equipment. The clout allegedly arm-twisted students to pay for getting the job of house staff. Money, which was earmarked for students' academic activities, was paid to contractors. Former deputy superintendent Akhtar Ali had alleged that Ghosh used to earn 20% commission from each deal.
The case against alleged irregularities in the hospital was lodged by the SIT of Kolkata Police on Aug 20 - 11 days after the rape-murder. The Calcutta HC handed over the case to CBI on Aug 23. The Enforcement Directorate also registered an ECIR and started a probe from Aug 27.
The CBI submitted in court that several others apart from the arrested four were involved in the case and pointed to a larger conspiracy through well-knit machinery. "The allegations made by the agency are not based on documentary evidence so far. Since 2021, he has purchased only a garage space in Beliaghata and a car," said Ghosh's lawyer Zohaib Rauf.
The investigators dug into fake companies owned by Singha and his relatives, who took part in the tendering process. Singha, owner of Maa Tara Traders, bagged the contracts through his alleged nexus with Ghosh. Hazra's company, which was supposed to supply medical equipment, sold refrigerator and sofa sets to the hospital. Khan, who allegedly controlled the parking business inside the hospital apart from being involved in the bio-medical waste scam, bagged the canteen contract for Eshan Cafe - a company owned by his wife Nargis Khanum.
The agency also questioned nearly a dozen officials of the hospital linked to Ghosh, including former MSVP Sanjay Vasisth, former forensic medicine demonstrator of the college Debashish Som and a few others related to the accounts department.