KOLKATA, Aug 23:
The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the transfer of the probe into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital during the tenure of its former Principal Sandip Ghosh from a State-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) to the CBI.
The Central agency also got permission from another city court to conduct a polygraph test on Ghosh and five others in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a post-graduate trainee inside the hospital earlier this month.
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Ghosh was removed from the post of the principal of the RG Kar hospital after the rape and murder that sparked nationwide outrage and cease work by junior doctors in the facility which is still continuing.
The High Court’s decision to transfer the case to CBI came in response to a petition by a former Deputy Superintendent of the facility, Akhtar Ali, who sought a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged financial misconduct at the state-run institute during the tenure of Ghosh.
Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed the CBI to submit a progress report on the investigation within three weeks. The court will hear the matter for September 17 to review the report and has ordered that the case diary and other 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, however, refused to grant any urgent hearing of his prayer.
The CBI, meanwhile, also secured the leave of ACJM Sealdah to conduct a polygraph test on Ghosh and five others in connection with the alleged rape and murder of the RG Kar medic which the agency is already probing on a Calcutta High Court order.
Besides Ghosh, four doctors, including an intern, and a civic volunteer posted at RG Kar hospital would go under the lie detector test, an officer said.
The agency has also received the court’s nod to carry out the polygraph test on the arrested Kolkata Police civic volunteer, the prime accused in the case.
The accused was produced in court on Friday following the completion of his police custody and was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days, the officer said.
The agitating junior doctors at RG Kar hospital conveyed that they would continue with their stir and cease work that has now surpassed a fortnight and crippled public healthcare services in West Bengal.
“We are yet to see any tangible progress in the CBI’s investigation nor heard anything from the agency on how close it is to crack the case. We have, hence, decided to continue with our movement,” an RG Kar medic said. (PTI)
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