Ex-principal Sandip Ghosh rigged RG Kar hospital's house staff selections, says CBI

KOLKATA: CBI's probe into financial irregularities of RG Kar Hospital details how arrested ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and his cronies minted money from diverse sources, including manipulating students' results and appointing "candidates of his choice" as house staff - post-MBBS internships.

In submissions to a special CBI court that remanded Ghosh in custody a few days ago, the agency said it suspected Ghosh "surpassed the process and straightaway appointed house staff of his choice" without "adopting a transparent method". The agency has dug into recruitments of 2022 and 2023.

Doctors at RG Kar said they knew of no panel for house staff selections . According to CBI's court submissions, Ghosh had introduced a system of " interviews ". A list of house staff was prepared by him and many meritorious students were left out. CBI officers have reasons to believe that scores from such "fictitious interviews" might have been added to the MBBS marks of the candidates picked against payments to Ghosh's cronies. The appointment orders only mention final marks.

The corruption, CBI found, was even more deep-rooted and spread to other areas, including "collusive bidding" and "bid rigging" in tenders for hospital equipment and services. Investigators have come across fake companies, owned by Biplav Singha and his relatives, that took part in the tenders to help his firm Maa Tara Traders bag the contracts. Singha, alleged associate of Ghosh, was arrested along with the ex-principal.

CBI investigations have led to more companies, M/s Baba Loknath and Tiasha Enterprises. Singha ran the two and other companies through his "family members, staff and friends" and participated in the RG Kar tender process.

CBI's sleuths are also scanning how Ghosh's arrested guard Afsar Ali bagged a hospital canteen contract for Eshan Cafe, a company owned by the latter's wife Nargis. Ghosh allegedly gave the canteen deal through a "pre-determined manner".

Investigators were also surprised to find that the bid amount by participating companies for the cafe was handwritten on the documents.

Handwriting experts confirmed these were written by a single person.

According to CBI, Ghosh had even returned the "non-refundable caution money (for the bidding)" to Eshan Cafe.