Enforcement Directorate Files First Money Laundering Chargesheet in R G Kar Medical College Scandal
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a significant step forward in the high-profile financial irregularities case linked to Kolkata's state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Friday, the agency filed its first official charge sheet before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata, marking a crucial development in this multi-crore scandal.
Key Accused Named in the Chargesheet
The ED's chargesheet identifies former principal Sandip Ghosh as the primary accused in this complex money laundering investigation. Additionally, the document names private vendors Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra as accused beneficiaries who allegedly profited from the irregularities. The chargesheet also implicates Hazra Medical, a prominent supplier of medicines and medical equipment to the hospital, in the alleged financial misconduct.
This legal action follows the ED's registration of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which initiated the formal money laundering probe to trace the intricate financial trail connected to the scandal. The agency is specifically investigating how illicit funds were allegedly generated and circulated through various channels.
Parallel Investigations and Judicial Status
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been conducting a parallel, comprehensive probe into the same financial irregularities. The CBI had previously filed its own charge sheet in the case while simultaneously investigating what authorities describe as the "larger conspiracy" behind the tragic rape and murder of a junior woman doctor on the hospital premises in August 2024.
Currently, former principal Sandip Ghosh remains in judicial remand following his arrest by the CBI on charges directly related to the alleged financial misconduct. The CBI's charge sheet presented detailed evidence showing a substantial and suspicious increase in assets and properties acquired by Ghosh and other accused individuals after Ghosh's appointment to his leadership position at the medical college.
Origins and Scope of the Investigation
This extensive investigation originated from a formal petition filed by former hospital official Akhtar Ali, who sought a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities that occurred during Ghosh's tenure as principal. The Calcutta High Court subsequently ordered the investigation, a decision that was later upheld by the Supreme Court of India, giving the probe significant judicial backing.
The alleged irregularities encompass multiple serious allegations, including:
- Systematic manipulation of tender processes
- Awarding lucrative infrastructure contracts to private agencies while deliberately bypassing the state Public Works Department
- The alleged illegal sale of organs from unidentified bodies meant for autopsy purposes
Investigators have reported that Ghosh benefited financially from the alleged organ sales, with CBI documents revealing that from 2021 onward, an average of 60 bodies per financial year went completely unaccounted for in hospital records.
National Attention and Broader Context
R G Kar Medical College and Hospital first came under intense national scrutiny following the horrific rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was discovered in a hospital conference room on August 9, 2024. This tragedy brought renewed attention to the institution's operations and governance, ultimately leading to the exposure of the financial irregularities now being investigated by multiple agencies.
The ED's first money laundering chargesheet represents a pivotal moment in this ongoing legal saga, potentially paving the way for further revelations about the scale and mechanisms of the alleged financial misconduct at one of West Bengal's prominent medical institutions.
