The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday claimed that former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh and his wife owned three flats and two houses in Kolkata, one flat at Murshidabad, and a farmhouse in South 24 Parganas.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday night, the ED cited documents seized during raids at premises of Ghosh and his accomplices on September 6, saying properties acquired by Ghosh’s wife Sangeeta didn’t have proper approval from the state government.
Earlier in the day, Ghosh, arrested by CBI in connection with the alleged financial irregularities, was sent to judicial custody along with three others — Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra and Afsar Ali — till September 23.
The CBI, which did not seek the remand of the four, however, told the special court in Alipore that it may seek Ghosh’s custody later depending on the progress of the investigation.
“During investigation, we have recovered mobile phones, hard disks that need to be analysed. It will take time… We do not need the accused in our custody immediately. But we may seek their custody again later, if required. If new information comes to light and the Investigating Officer deems it warrants further interrogation of Sandip Ghosh, we will seek his remand,” the CBI lawyer told the court. The CBI, which is probing the August 9 rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital, was asked by the Calcutta High Court to also probe the charges of financial irregularities against Ghosh (53), who was the principal at the time of the incident.
After weeks of questioning Ghosh, both in connection with the rape-murder incident as well as the financial irregularities case, the CBI arrested the former principal of RG Kar Hospital on September 2 for corruption.
The central probe agency also arrested Ghosh’s security guard Afsar Ali Khan and two hospital vendors, identified as Biplab Singha (52) and Suman Hazra (46), who are considered close to Ghosh.
All four have been booked for (criminal conspiracy), 420 (fraud) and Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI’s lawyer on Tuesday told the court that more people acted as accomplices of Ghosh in siphoning of government funds.
Earlier, the CBI told the court: “Evidence collected during the investigation so far revealed that Dr Sandip Ghosh in a criminal Nexus with other co-accused by way of illegal means caused wrongful loss to the government and corresponding wrongful gain to himself and other accused persons.
That investigation has revealed that vendors Biplab Singha and Suman Hazra are close acquaintances of Sandip Ghosh.” The CBI earlier told the special court that the former principal siphoned off funds and made 84 illegal appointments at RG Kar in 2022 and 2023.
Meanwhile, chaotic scenes were witnessed at the Alipore Court premises where Ghosh and others were produced, when lawyers, mostly women, demonstrated against the former RG Kar principal and tried to block the courtroom exit when he was being escorted out by security personnel.
Even the judge’s appeals to refrain from agitation fell on deaf ears. The police summoned central paramilitary jawans to gain control over the situation.
While the protesters shouted ‘chor chor’ (thief, thief) at Ghosh, one person was seen hurling a slipper at the accused ex-principal and banging the prison van with it after the suspects were made to board the vehicle headed for the Presidency Correctional Home.
The lawyers alleged that “special treatment” was being offered to the accused by allowing them to use the courtroom exit used by the judges. The lawyers were heard raising ‘We want Justice’ slogans and chorused that the “blood of the victim won’t go in vain”. They even demanded that the accused “be hanged” for “abetting the gruesome rape and murder of the victim”.
Meanwhile, the court rejected the CBI’s application for a hearing on virtual mode and producing all four accused from the agency’s Nizam Palace office, where they were being held, in apprehension of violence.
— WITH PTI
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