ED files chargesheet in R G Kar Hospital financial irregularities case

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet before a special court here on Friday as part of its money-laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Former principal of the medical college Sandip Ghosh, apart from three others, has been named as an accused by the federal probe agency.

Ghosh is currently in jail following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the charge of financial irregularities.

The ED said in a statement that its probe has found that "substantial" amounts credited to the accounts of contractors, received from the accounts of the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, were systematically "diverted" and "siphoned off" in collusion with the contractors either by withdrawals through bearer cheques issued to their close associates or by transfers to associate firms, and further withdrawn in cash.

The proceeds of the crime have been intermingled with other funds, withdrawn in cash and routed through multiple layers of financial transactions, the agency alleged.

"In lieu of extending such illegal favour and patronage, Ghosh received illegal gratification and pecuniary advantage from the said contractors by awarding contracts worth Rs 6.89 crore," the ED said.

The agency said the income earned by Ghosh from his private medical practice was "meagre" and "grossly disproportionate" to the large cash deposits in his bank accounts.

"The cash receipts, falsely projected as professional fees without rendering any medical services, constitute unaccounted gratification for awarding work orders to firms owned by Biplab Singha and Suman Hazra.

"These proceeds were deposited in the accounts of Ghosh and his wife and layered through transfers to family members under the guise of gifts," it said.

The ED had attached assets worth Rs 52.38 lakh of Ghosh earlier.

Akhtar Ali, a former official at the hospital, had prayed for a CBI investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the state-run facility during the tenure of Ghosh. His prayer was allowed by the Calcutta High Court and the order was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The ED had filed an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report), which is equivalent to a police FIR, in connection with the alleged money trail in the case.

It was during Ghosh's tenure as the principal that the infamous rape and murder of a trainee doctor took place at the hospital. Her body was found in the conference room of the hospital in north Kolkata on August 9, 2024.

Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was sentenced to imprisonment till the end of his natural life by the Sealdah sessions court here in January 2025, after finding him guilty of the crimes.