The power and peril of Dr Sandip Ghosh: From ‘reserved teen’ to principal who ran Kolkata college as ‘fiefdom’

Amid questions about the Mamata Banerjee government’s role, and remarks by the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court, the spotlight has turned to Sandip Ghosh, who was the principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital when the Kolkata rape-murder was reported.

Ghosh had quit amid outrage two days after the trainee doctor was found dead, but he  was appointed within three hours as the principal of another medical college. He was also not questioned by the Kolkata police before the probe was handed over to the CBI.  

But the CBI has now grilled him for six consecutive days while the SIT formed by the state government this week is looking into Ghosh’s role in alleged financial malpractices at the RG Kar Hospital and in revealing the victim’s identity in violation of Supreme Court guidelines.

From a “taciturn student” to an illustrious alumnus, a doctor, and then a controversial medical college principal, Ghosh seems to have come a long way.

Complaint over serious irregularities, SIT findings   

Before Ghosh hit the national headlines this month, former deputy superintendent of RG Kar Hospital Akhtar Ali had lodged a complaint last year with chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the state vigilance commission and anti-corruption branch over a slew of serious irregularities at the hospital.  

However, Ali, now posted in Murshidabad, was allegedly shunted from the hospital. “I complained about him not allowing students to pass their examination, withholding registration of interns, squandering government’s money, illegally giving out of government assets, nepotism in selecting vendors, illegally selling used biomedical wastes, and misutilisation of Covid fund. My letter of complaint highlighted 15 points. But nothing happened. Instead, I was transferred,” he alleged.

Now, the state government’s 15-member SIT, comprising four IPS officers and led by an officer of inspector general of police rank, has lodged a complaint on the lines of the malpractices highlighted by Ali.

As per sources in the SIT, after receiving complaints of financial irregularities against Ghosh, the state health department conducted a departmental investigation, which allegedly pointed to a criminal nexus between Ghosh and some contractors. “Despite not having proper licences, eligibility to take part in tender process, three-four specific contractors bagged tenders for running canteens, cafeteria, installation of a lab with equipment, and supply materials in 2022,” said an officer, who is in the SIT, quoting the preliminary findings of the state health department. 

The police suspect that Ghosh received bribes in lieu of favouring the contractors. 

After finding prima facie evidence over the allegations of financial misconduct, one officer from the West Bengal health department had filed a complaint with Tala police station on August 19 naming Ghosh, based on which a case was lodged under sections 420 and 120B of the IPC and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case has been registered under IPC sections as the alleged offence took place before the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was introduced. 

Akhtar Ali lodged another complaint at the Tala police station on Tuesday, accusing Ghosh of using bodies for forensic medicine workshops in a violation of NHRC guidelines. Ali also alleged that Ghosh was involved in a biomedical waste management “scam”, as part of which biomedical waste was sold to “some fugitive persons”.

Listed among illustrious school alumni 

In his school days at Bongaon, a sub-division in the India-Bangladesh border area of North 24 Parganas district, about 80 kms from Kolkata, Ghosh was known as a meritorious student. He scored over 80 percent in his class 12 board examination from Bongaon High School and cleared the Joint Entrance Examination for admission in medical colleges in the same year. 

His school has a board that still has his name among its illustrious alumni. But now some teachers and staff have demanded that Ghosh be struck off the list.

His neighbour in Bongaon, Partha Sarathi Dey told Newslaundry that Ghosh was a teenager “with a soft nature. He had limited friends. We knew him as a student who was focused on his goal. But what we are hearing about him is shameful. Greed must have changed him”. 

Ghosh completed his medical degree in 1994. But despite being an orthopaedics professor and surgeon, he did not gain prominence until much later.

He became well-known around 2018, after being elevated to the post of vice-principal of the National Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. In 2021, he assumed the charge of the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where he had also completed his medical education. And it is here that his “professional irregularities”, alleged malpractices and controversies began surfacing. 

3 transfers in 4 years, ran college as ‘fiefdom’ 

In about four years of Ghosh’s tenure at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, he was transferred on three occasions. But every time, he was reinstated – in one case within three hours.

Several former students of the college, who spoke to Newslaundry, alleged that Ghosh was running the college as his personal fiefdom “with the help of his followers”.

Doctor-turned-politician Santanu Sen, who was formerly with the TMC, claimed that those in Ghosh’s good books “enjoyed amnesty” and he would “make life miserable” for others. “Cheating by students in his good books became common in this premium healthcare college.” 

Another doctor, on condition of anonymity, alleged that “Ghosh’s so-called cartel was given a free hand to control the allotment of hostel seats, hospital beds, duty rosters, and even selection of house staff-ship doctors. His group is also accused of extorting money from canteens and allowing illegal stalls on the hospital premises”.

As per the directorate of medical education guidelines, house-staff, responsible for providing initial treatment in the hospital’s emergency wing and coordinating with senior doctors at wards where patients are admitted, are selected on the basis of final merit score, including the academic and interview marks. The interview panel includes the principal, medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal, account officer, and a house-staff selection committee formed by the principal. “The presence of Ghosh and his men in the selection committee had strong influence on the interview panel to manipulate the selection,” alleged a former student.

Ghosh was being interrogated by CBI sleuths at the time of writing this report.

Newslaundry had reached out to Ghosh for comment. This report will be updated if a response is received.

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