RG Kar ex-principal Sandip Ghosh part of 'criminal nexus', awarded aides contracts, CBI tells court: Report

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the rape and murder of a trainee doctor and alleged financial irregularities at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH), told a special court that the former principal of the college, Sandip Ghosh had "criminal nexus" with other co-accused for "wrongful gains."

According to a report by The Indian Express, in submissions made by CBI before the special court in Alipore on September 3, the agency has claimed that Ghosh favoured two of his aides IN getting hospital contracts. Ghosh, along with Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra, and Afsar Ali, who are also co-accused in the financial irregularities case, were produced before the court on Tuesday.

At the behest of Ghosh, a firm owned by his security aide's wife was given the contract of a college cafe, the central probing agency has alleged, adding that the process of awarding tenders to his aides was "not transparent."

The agency has alleged that Ghosh knew the two vendors—Biplab Singha and Suman Hazra—from the time of his posting at the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. Afsar Ali, on the other hand is his security aide.

As per the report, when Sandip Ghosh was appointed as the principal of RGKMCH in February 2021, he brought the two vendors with him who "continued with supply of materials."

“Investigation has revealed that vendors Shri Biplab Singha and Shri Suman Hazra are close acquaintances of Shri Sandip Ghosh. Shri Sandip Ghosh has known Shri Biplab Singha since the time when Shri Sandip Ghosh was posted as HoD (head of department) at Murshidabad. Shri Biplab Singha was working as a vendor there,” it said.

Explaining the "nexus" between Ghosh and Singha, CBI told the court as per the publication, "investigation has revealed that M/s Maa Tara Traders, owned and operated by its proprietor Biplab Singha, had a close relationship with Dr. Sandip Ghosh. During searches conducted and evidences gathered thereafter, documentary and oral evidences have surfaced which prima facie reveal that Biplab Singha controlled and operated many firms run by himself, his friend, family members, staffs, etc. through which he used to participate in tenders by way of submitting quotations from the firms controlled and operated by himself."

"Singha used to submit quotations and other documents of above firms to make the bids competitive and finally used to get work orders in the name of one of the above firms, mostly in the name of Maa Tara Traders, M/s Baba Loknath and Tiasha Enterprises," the agency claimed.

CBI also said that the letter of work orders, though addressed to different staff of the college, was never given to them. It was shared with other staff only when a clearance was needed from the accounts section.

Similarly, M/s Hazra Medical, controlled and operated by Suman Hazra, had the patronage of Sandip Ghosh and was also awarded multiple contracts following the same modus operandi, the agency revealed.

The agency also noted that Hazra’s firm’s business rose three times from 2021 to 2022 after becoming a part of the "criminal nexus."