'Bribe For Corpse': Fresh Allegations Against Former RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh

Kolkata/New Delhi: Amid the ongoing investigation into the Kolkata rape-murder case, Tarak Chatterjee, a former morgue employee, has made serious allegations against Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College. Chatterjee claimed that Ghosh accepted bribes from the families of the deceased in exchange for releasing their corpses. Sandip Ghosh, who resigned amid protests following the doctor's murder, was quickly reassigned to a position at Calcutta Medical College. However, the Calcutta High Court intervened, reprimanding the Mamata government’s decision and placing Ghosh on indefinite leave.  

What Are The Fresh Allegations Against Sandip Ghosh? 

• Corrupt ‘Dadan’ System: Chatterjee claimed that Sandip Ghosh introduced a corrupt "Dadan" system, exploiting various operations such as cooperative vehicle supply and body stitching.
• Self-Styled Leader: Sandip Ghosh allegedly dubbed himself the "Chief Minister of RG Kar."
• Extortion Claims: Chatterjee accused Ghosh of extorting ₹10,000-12,000 from the families of deceased individuals to release their loved ones' bodies.
• Organ Trafficking Allegations: There are claims that organs were illicitly removed from bodies and sold to private hospitals for profit.
• Political Shielding: It is alleged that Sandip Ghosh conducted these illegal activities under the protection of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the TMC.
• Rape-Murder Cover-Up: Ghosh is accused of orchestrating a cover-up in the rape and murder of a brilliant medical student at RG Kar.
• Money Laundering Suspicions: There are suspicions that black money from RG Kar Hospital was funnelled as cut money to Kalighat.

Ghosh Involved in Multiple Illegal Activities

The fresh allegations against Ghosh come after Akhtar Ali, former deputy superintendent of the college, alleged that Dr Ghosh was involved in multiple illegal activities, including the sale of unclaimed bodies. Ali stated that Dr Ghosh provided alcohol to students and manipulated their (students') results by accepting bribes to influence pass-and-fail outcomes. "He (Ghosh) deliberately failed some students to take money from them," Ali said.

Furthermore, Ali claimed that Dr Ghosh was engaged in smuggling syringes to Bangladesh, adding to the gravity of the accusations against him. “Sandip Ghosh was involved in dealing with unclaimed dead bodies and a case was filed against him for this. He was also implicated in trafficking biomedical waste, which he sold to individuals within his additional security team. This waste was then transported to Bangladesh,” the former deputy superintendent alleged.

Akhtar Ali, who served at RG Kar Hospital until 2023, revealed that he had alerted the state vigilance commission about the illegal activities and was also a member of the inquiry committee investigating Dr Sandip Ghosh. Despite the investigation confirming Dr Ghosh's guilt, no action was taken against the former principal, Ali alleged. Ali also claimed that Sandip Ghosh had the backing of several influential individuals, pointing out that Ghosh was reinstated as the head of the hospital despite being transferred twice. "Such an individual should be taken into custody immediately," the former RG Kar official asserted.  

CBI Interrogates Ghosh

Meanwhile, CBI sleuths started grilling former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH) Sandip Ghosh and ex-medical superintendent and vice principal Sanjay Vashisth in connection with their ongoing probe into alleged financial irregularities in the institute, an officer of the agency said. Ghosh, whose Beliaghata residence was searched by CBI officers on Sunday, appeared at the central agency's office in Salt Lake on Monday morning with files and documents, he added.

Vashisth, whose house was also raided by the CBI officers, appeared before the central agency's detectives at Nizam Palace, the officer said, adding that a forensic medicine department professor was also called for questioning at the same office.

On Sunday, the CBI launched simultaneous search operations on the premises of Ghosh, Vashisth and 13 others in and around Kolkata in connection with their probe into alleged financial irregularities in the medical establishment, officials said.

A postgraduate trainee woman doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar hall of the hospital on August 9, following which a Kolkata Police civic volunteer was arrested. The gruesome crime resulted in nationwide protests by doctors and citizens.

On the direction of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI registered cases into the killing as well as alleged financial irregularities. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may conduct a polygraph test on Ghosh today as there were discrepancies in some of his replies. For the unversed, Ghosh has been questioned by the CBI several times in connection with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on August 9.