Supreme Court dismisses petition of former director of RG Kar Hospital against Supreme Court order

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, challenging the Calcutta High Court's decision to add him as a party to a petition alleging financial irregularities at the institute during his tenure.

On August 23, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the investigation into the alleged financial irregularities from a government-established Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that Ghosh as an accused had no ground of appeal in his plea.

“As an accused, you have no opportunity to intervene in the PIL where the Calcutta High Court is monitoring the investigation,” the court said.

The murder and alleged rape of a junior doctor at the government hospital has sparked nationwide protests.

The body of the paramedic with severe injuries was found in the seminar room of the hospital's pulmonary department on August 9. The following day, a volunteer was arrested by the Calcutta police in connection with the case.

The Supreme Court's August 23 order followed a petition filed by the institution's former deputy director, Akhtar Ali, who had sought an Enforcement Directorate inquiry into alleged financial malpractice at the hospital during Ghosh's tenure.

The Supreme Court had also rejected Ghosh's request to be made a party to the suit on the grounds that he was not a “necessary party” in the case.