Raids lead Enforcement Directorate to RG Kar ex-principal’s luxurious bungalow
An Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into alleged financial irregularities at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a trainee doctor was raped and murdered, led investigators to a sprawling, two-story bungalow in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The property belongs to former RG Kar principal Dr Sandip Ghosh and his wife Sangeeta Ghosh, sources said.
The luxurious bungalow, located in Canning, is surrounded by hundreds of acres of vacant land. Local residents said the property, which bears the nameplate ‘Sangeetasandip Villa’ is named after Ghosh and his wife, Sangeeta.
Locals, who refer to the bungalow as “Doctor Babu’s house”, claimed that they often see the Ghosh visiting the residence with family members.
They also alleged that several farm houses had been constructed in the area apparently on the instructions of Dr Sandip Ghosh, whom they accused of buying up vast swathes of land in the block.
The ED is carrying out raids as part of a broader investigation into alleged financial misconduct at RG Kar during Ghosh’s tenure as principal. Raids were conducted Friday at multiple locations in Kolkata and its suburbs, including Ghosh’s residence and properties belonging to his relatives.
The ED had filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Ghosh, which is similar to an FIR in criminal cases. The doctor is currently in CBI custody, after the central probe agency arrested him and three associates in connection with the corruption case earlier this month.
The case stems from allegations levelled by Dr Akhtar Ali, a former deputy superintendent at RG Kar. Ali accused Ghosh and his associates of wastage of government funds, nepotism, and irregularities in vendor selection and recruitment. He also suggested that corruption at the hospital might be linked to the death of the trainee doctor who was allegedly aware of the misconduct.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by Ghosh challenging a Calcutta High Court order rejecting his request to be added as a party to the corruption case. The court stated that as an accused, Ghosh has no legal right to intervene in the matter.
