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Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: Sandip Ghosh grilled by CBI for 13 hours; Bengal SIT to probe hospital finances
Kolkata doctor rape-murder: West Bengal Special Investigation Team will investigate financial irregularities at RG Kar hospital.
Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, is in more trouble as the West Bengal government formed a Special Investigation Team on Monday to investigate financial irregularities at the hospital from January 2021 to the present.
The move comes even as Central Bureau of Investigation officers questioned the Sandip Ghosh for the fourth consecutive day on Monday in connection with its probe into the alleged rape and murder of a 31-year-old woman trainee doctor at the health facility.
An order from the West Bengal government said a SIT has been formed to conduct the probe the alleged financial irregularities, and will submit a report within a month.
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A ‘notification’ from the Bengal government's home and hill affairs department internal security branch, said the SIT, headed by inspector general of police Pranav Kumar, will have the “liberty to access any relevant document from government departments and private agencies required for expeditious completion of the inquiry”.
"The SIT will submit its first report to the State Government within a month from the date of its constitution," the order read.
BJP reacts
Reacting to the state government move, Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell head Amit Malviya suspected the the West Bengal Police would arrest Sandip Ghosh to stop the CBI from taking him in custody.
“Now, WB Govt constitutes a SIT to probe allegations of financial irregularities by Dr Sandeep Ghosh, the disgraced Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. 4 IPS officers are part of the SIT. How are police officers equipped to investigate financial crimes? This is nothing but Mamata Banerjee’s move to save Ghosh. WB Police will arrest Sandeep Ghosh, just in time, to stop CBI from taking him in custody,” Amit Malviya wrote on social media platform X.
“Unless Mamata Banerjee resigns, free and fair probe in the rape and murder of the lady doctor is not possible. She must resign now,” he added.
Sandip Ghosh questioned again
Sandip Ghosh, who reached the CBI’s Kolkata office at CGO Complex in the morning, was grilled till late in the evening, for around 13 hours, an official said.
Among other queries, he was asked to specify his role after getting the news of the death of the doctor, who he had contacted thereafter and why he made the parents wait for nearly three hours before getting to see her body, an official told news agency PTI.
The former principal was also questioned on who had ordered renovation of rooms adjacent to the seminar hall, after the postgraduate trainee’s body was found there on August 9, he said.
Sandip Ghosh, who had resigned from the post on August 11, has been grilled for several hours in the last three days by officers of the central probe agency.
Some of his version does not match with that of the others who are being interrogated in the case, the official said. The call records and his chat details are also being investigated.
Later in the evening, a team of CBI officers visited the RG Kar hospital to take a closer look at its Trauma Care Unit, and also collected samples.
(With inputs from agencies)
