What made former RG Kar director Sandip Ghosh a controversial figure?

Kolkata, September 2 (IANS): Since the injured body of a young doctor was found in the seminar room of the government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on the morning of August 9, Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of the medical college who was heading the institute when the rape and murder case was reported, has become the most controversial figure in the gruesome incident.

Following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday for his alleged role in a case related to financial irregularities involving RG Kar, political observers now believe that Ghosh has landed in controversy not so much because of his own past “misdeeds” but rather because of the West Bengal government's blatant attempts to protect him after the rape and murder of the junior doctor came to light.

A few days after the body was recovered, Ghosh, who had faced criticism from various quarters, announced his resignation as director of RG Kar as well as from the state health service.

But instead of accepting Ghosh's resignation from the state health service, the Health Ministry issued a statement on the same day announcing Ghosh's appointment as the principal of the Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (CNMCH), drawing heavy criticism from all sides.

This move triggered floodgates of protests against both Ghosh and the state government, with the latter being accused of making a blatant attempt to protect Ghosh.

However, Ghosh could not take up the post of the principal of the CNMCH as a bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI inquiry into the RG Kar incident and also restrained him from being appointed as the principal of any medical college in the state until further notice.

Troubles mounted for Ghosh after Akhtar Ali, a former deputy director of RG Kar, approached the Calcutta High Court demanding a central agency inquiry into financial “irregularities” at the hospital during the time when Ghosh headed the government institute.

In his petition, Ali pointed out that his previous appeals to various departments of the state government, in which he had raised the financial irregularities as a whistleblower, had been ignored by the administrative apparatus.

Meanwhile, protesting medical representatives also raised their voices, claiming that the junior doctor had become a victim because she had learned too many “bloody secrets” of the RG Kar administration under Ghosh's command.

When the single-judge bench finally allowed Ali's petition, it directed the CBI to initiate an investigation into the financial irregularities parallel to the rape and murder case.

After 16 days of continuous interrogation, the CBI's economic crimes wing finally took Ghosh into custody on Monday evening in the financial irregularities case.