ED Submits Chargesheet in R G Kar Hospital Financial Irregularities Case
The Enforcement Directorate filed a case with a special PMLA court in Kolkata on Friday, connecting it to money laundering linked to financial irregularities at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Former principal Sandip Ghosh and three others have been accused. ED officials looked into the alleged diversion of funds over several years and found that the remaining money was mixed with other funds, withdrawn, and passed through complex financial transactions to hide the source. The ED alleges that Ghosh and three others, including private vendors, worked together to misdirect large sums meant for contractors and received illegal benefits in return. Contracts worth around 6.89 crore were given to the accused and the contractors.
The ED found large cash deposits in Ghosh’s bank accounts that were much more than his known income, listed as professional fees even though he provided no medical services. Investigators discovered that illegal funds were mixed with legal money, often withdrawn as bearer cheques and given to associates or family members to hide their source. The ED seized properties worth over 52 lakh suspected to be linked to the accused, following a petition from former official Akhtar Ali. The Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to investigate the financial irregularities involving Ghosh, and the Supreme Court supported this order, leading the ED to file an ECIR to track the money laundering.
This case shows the institutional failures at R G Kar, which is also dealing with the aftermath of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee in August 2024. The financial investigations by both the CBI and ED have become more important, leading to a closer look into the hospital’s financial dealings. The ED will continue to investigate to uncover the truth behind the money laundering scandal at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
