Kolkata, November 17 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths probing the case of multi-crore financial irregularities in state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata have started taking legal steps to record the statements of former and controversial R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh in the matter.
Ghosh is currently in judicial custody in connection with the case. ED officials have applied to a special court in Kolkata to record Ghosh’s statements at the correctional home under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
This particular section authorizes ED to summon individuals and compel the production of documents during money laundering investigations. These powers include administering oaths, receiving evidence on affidavits, and issuing commissions, making proceedings under this section judicial in nature and punishable for non-compliance.
The ED will submit information related to Sandip's recorded statement to the court on December 14.
It may be recalled that on August 9 last year, the body of a post-graduate trainee was recovered from the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident had sent shockwaves across the country and beyond, resulting in widespread sustained protest movements by doctors, common man and even women members of households.
The sole convict Sanjoy Roy had already been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court, even after a year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had been unable to complete its investigation on the “larger conspiracy” behind the crime.
The issue of financial corruption came to light after the rape-murder incident. It was alleged that the funds allocated for various aspects of the hospital were embezzled. Former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh was arrested in this case.
The CBI registered a case and started investigating the financial corruption. The investigators also searched Sandip's house. The investigators also collected several documents.
The state government had initially formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the corruption. The investigation has also started. In the meantime, his former colleague Akhtar Ali approached the Calcutta High Court seeking an ED investigation against Sandip Ghosh. He is the former deputy superintendent of that hospital. However, the CBI filed the first case regarding financial corruption. The EDO also filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) based on that FIR. It is worth mentioning that not only Sandip Ghosh, but several others are also under the ED scanner.
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