The former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Dr. Sandip Ghosh, faced a hostile crowd outside a Kolkata court yesterday, with verbal abuse being hurled at him and one individual attempting to slap him. Security personnel quickly intervened, ensuring Dr. Ghosh’s safe departure from the scene.
Dr. Ghosh is under intense scrutiny due to the hospital’s handling of a shocking case in which a 31-year-old doctor was found raped and murdered on August 9. The incident, which occurred during the victim’s night shift in a seminar hall, has sparked outrage across the country. Adding to the controversy, Dr. Ghosh was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) Anti-Corruption Branch on charges of corruption and financial misconduct related to his tenure at the state-run hospital. He was presented in court yesterday and placed in eight-day custody, with the next hearing set for September 10.
In the wake of the horrific crime, Dr. Ghosh resigned as the principal of RG Kar Medical College, citing that he “could not bear the humiliation on social media.” However, just hours later, he was appointed as principal of another medical college in Kolkata by the West Bengal government—a decision that has been met with severe criticism. Subsequently, the state government suspended him for alleged financial misconduct, with the investigation being handed over to the CBI following a Calcutta High Court order.
A former colleague from RG Kar Medical College has accused Dr. Ghosh of multiple instances of corruption and has approached the High Court, speculating that this alleged corruption may be linked to the doctor’s death.
Both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court have criticized Dr. Ghosh for his role in the administration’s response to the rape and murder. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud questioned why the First Information Report (FIR) was filed nearly 14 hours after the discovery of the body, stating that the principal should have immediately ordered the filing of the FIR.
Similarly, the high court expressed surprise that the hospital authorities did not lodge a formal complaint, leaving it to the Kolkata Police to file an unnatural death case. “When the deceased victim was a doctor working in the hospital, it is rather surprising as to why the Principal/hospital did not lodge a formal complaint. This, in our view, was a serious lapse, giving room for suspicion,” the court remarked.
The court also questioned the West Bengal government’s “tearing urgency” in appointing Dr. Ghosh as the principal of another medical college just hours after his resignation. This decision has raised further concerns amid the ongoing investigations into both the murder and the corruption allegations.
