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Ex-RG Kar hospital principal appears before ED for questioning in financial irregularities case
Ex-RG Kar hospital principal appears before ED for questioning in financial irregularities case
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Kolkata, A former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, on Tuesday appeared before the ED at its office here for questioning in connection with alleged financial irregularities at the state-run facility, a senior official said.
Ghosh was the principal when an on-duty doctor was raped and murdered inside the hospital on August 9, 2024.
He went to the central agency's office responding to a second summons issued by it after he had sought additional time to appear in response to an earlier notice, the official said.
"We are examining the financial transactions and the alleged diversion of funds from the hospital's accounts. Ghosh's role in the case is also under investigation, and his statement will be examined alongside the documentary and financial evidence," the ED official said.
The agency had initially summoned him on November 4, but Ghosh did not appear and instead wrote to the investigators seeking time for 15 days.
Ghosh had also requested that he be questioned through video conferencing, if necessary, the official stated.
The ED subsequently issued a fresh summons directing Ghosh to appear on Tuesday. Though Ghosh reportedly sent his lawyer to seek another extension, the agency declined the request and asked him to appear as scheduled, sources said.
The central agency has alleged that large sums of money were systematically siphoned off from the hospital's accounts through transactions involving contractors and their associates.
According to the ED official, cheques were allegedly issued in the names of individuals linked to contractors, with the money subsequently withdrawn or transferred to other associated entities.
Ghosh was arrested by the CBI in connection with the case and remained in custody for nearly two years, the officer said.
His bail plea was earlier rejected by the Calcutta High Court.
Challenging the Calcutta High Court order, Ghosh approached the Supreme Court on August 18. On October 16, the apex court granted him bail, taking into account the prolonged period of incarceration and the slow progress of the trial.
The ED had filed a chargesheet in the case in February, naming Ghosh as an accused.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
