Cal HC transfers RG Kar hospital financial irregularities probe to CBI from

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from a state-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The decision came in response to a petition by former deputy superintendent of the facility, Akhtar Ali, who requested a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged financial misconduct at the state-run institute during the tenure of its former principal, Sandip Ghosh.

Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed the CBI to submit a progress report on the investigation within three weeks. The court has scheduled a follow-up hearing for September 17 to review the report and has ordered that the case diary and other relevant documents be handed over to the CBI by 10 AM on Saturday.

Claiming urgency, Ghosh's lawyer moved a division bench presided by Justice Harish Tandon against the order of the single bench.

The division bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, refused to grant any urgent hearing of his prayer.

The West Bengal government had set up the SIT on August 20 to probe the alleged financial irregularities at the hospital.

During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Bharadwaj asked the state why the SIT was formed a year after the allegations of financial irregularities at the hospital had surfaced.

Ali claimed that he had complained about the alleged financial irregularities in the institute to state government authorities in 2023.

Ghosh was removed as principal following public outcry over the rape-murder of the trainee doctor on August 9. The victim's body was found with severe injuries inside a seminar hall at the hospital. A civic volunteer was arrested by the Kolkata Police in connection with the case the following day.