Former R G Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh entered into a criminal conspiracy with contractors Biplab Singha and Suman Hazra to manipulate the hospital’s procurement and tendering processes, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed in its chargehseet regarding financial irregularities at the state-run Kolkata hospital.
The ED chargesheet, submitted before a special court in Kolkata on February 6, claimed that once procurement orders were initiated, Ghosh ensured Singha and Hazra received the work orders. The accused allegedly formed a “cartel of firms” to submit proxy quotations and false documents, effectively blocking outside competition
“They ensured the lowest and highest bidders were firms owned by cartel members, thereby rigging the process. Thus, there was a criminal nexus between Dr. Sandip Ghosh and private contractors,” ED stated.
ED further noted that Ghosh abused his official position to benefit this cartel by splitting purchase proposals and procuring materials at exorbitant prices, rendering the entire process non-competitive.
The chargesheet said that Ghosh awarded contracts worth Rs 6.89 crore and charged a commission of 10–15 per cent. “It has been revealed during the investigation that Sandip Ghosh indulged in corrupt practices in connection with the award of contracts. Out of the total contracts awarded amounting to Rs 6.89 crore, he received illegal commission at the rate of 10-15 per cent, amounting to approximately Rs 70 lakh…The said amount of Rs 70 lakh was acquired as illegal gratification and is directly connected with the scheduled offence,” stated the chargesheet.
The chargesheet, a copy of which is with the Indian Express, further stated, “Investigation has revealed that there existed collusive bidding or
bid rigging leading to award of such works to one M/s Maa Tara Traders and their sister concerns making the entire purchase or procurement process non-competitive.”
“Thus Sandip Ghosh by abusing his official position dishonestly and fraudulently caused undue benefit to different firms which were part of cartel controlled by Biplab Singha, and Suman Hazra and issued multiple work orders supply orders towards execution of work or supply of materials by splitting the purchase proposal, by procuring material at exorbitant price etc.”
The chargesheet added, “In the present case, the accused persons have knowingly acquired, possessed, transferred, layered, and used the said proceeds of crime, obtained or derived by illegal gratification in connection with the scheduled offence, and have projected and claimed the same as untainted money.”
ED charged the accused under Section 3 of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act). During searches in September 2024, the agency found records of immovable properties with a deed value of Rs 52,38,651, which have since been provisionally attached. A review of the bank statements of Ghosh and his wife, Sangeeta Ghosh, allegedly revealed several unexplained cash deposits in their SBI and Karnataka Bank accounts.
The chargesheet claimed that the investigation revealed that Susanta Pramanik, while serving in his official capacity as the storekeeper, received illegal payments on behalf of Sandip Ghosh from Deb Dutta Chatterjee, the proprietor of Octane Medical.
Within two days of the alleged payment of this illegal gratification, an acknowledgement of receipt of goods was provided to the supplier in the form of a delivery challan dated November 19, 2022. This document was duly signed by the professor and head of the department of prthopaedics at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, after which the payment process was initiated, the charghesheet said.
The chargesheet highlighted significant discrepancies in Ghosh’s statements regarding his income. Despite holding a “non-practising” post as Principal, Ghosh claimed in an October 2024 statement that he earned Rs 17 lakh annually from four private clinics, the chargesheet said. However, during a 2021 inquiry, Ghosh wrote, “I don’t do any private practice, my designation being non-practising.”
When confronted with this contradiction in November 2025, Ghosh claimed he had applied for permission to practice and, receiving no objection, assumed it was allowed.
The alleged financial irregularities gained attention after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor on the hospital premises in August 2024. Akhtar Ali, the former deputy superintendent at R G Kar Hospital, filed a petition with the Calcutta High Court requesting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into these alleged irregularities that occurred during Ghosh’s tenure at the hospital.
While ED has submitted its chargesheet, the agency is still awaiting prosecution sanction from the West Bengal state government. The next hearing is scheduled for April. ED and CBI have been conducting parallel probes into the financial irregularities case.