Bengal Health Department finally suspends former RG Kar director Sandip Ghosh

Calcutta: The Health Ministry of the Government of West Bengal on Tuesday finally suspended Sandip Ghoshthe controversial former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Calcutta, where a junior doctor was found raped and murdered on August 9, when Ghosh was heading the institute.

The Health Ministry announced Ghosh's suspension through an official order late on Tuesday evening. However, the order was not signed by Health Minister NS Nigam, but by a special officer of the Health Ministry.

“In view of the ongoing criminal investigation against Sandip Ghosh, ex-director of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, Ghosh is suspended under Section 7(1c) of the West Bengal Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1971 with immediate effect,” the order said.

Representatives of the medical fraternity, however, questioned the late action of the state government, which is already under criticism for reportedly giving protection to Ghosh after the rape and murder case.

On Monday evening, Ghosh was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after 16 days of interrogation.

Ghosh was questioned in connection with two parallel CBI investigations – the rape and murder of the junior doctor and allegations of financial irregularities at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during his tenure.

The CBI arrested Ghosh in connection with its investigation into allegations of financial irregularities at the government medical college.

A few days after the recovery of the junior doctor's body, Ghosh announced his resignation as director of RG Kar and 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 Rector of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH), drawing heavy criticism from all sides.

This move sparked 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 over the post of principal of 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 and asked the central agency to investigate financial “irregularities” that existed at the hospital when Ghosh was at the helm.

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.

Based on Ali's petition, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to launch an investigation into the allegations of financial irregularities alongside the rape and murder case.