The West Bengal government has sanctioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute former R G Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh in connection with alleged financial irregularities and money laundering. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the decision on Monday, sharing the official order authorising legal proceedings against Ghosh. According to the government order, West Bengal Governor RN Ravi, acting as the competent authority, examined the FIRs, case records and other materials before granting approval for prosecution. The sanction was granted after "fully and carefully examining" the case materials and records, including the FIR and related documents, as confirmed by a senior state health department official to PTI. The order stated that the Governor was satisfied that "prima facie he has considered that the said Sandip Ghosh, the then Principal of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata, should be prosecuted in the court of law."
The sanction specifically relates to the August 9, 2024 rape and murder of a trainee doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, which sparked nationwide outrage and protests. As Chief Minister, Adhikari stated that "in connection with the brutal rape and murder of our sister, 'Abhaya,' at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024, the 'Sanction of Prosecution' has been formally accorded to the ED (Enforcement Directorate) to take legal action and prosecute the then-Principal of R.G. Kar, the notorious Sandip Ghosh, in accordance with legal procedures." The case stems from the rape and murder of a trainee doctor whose body was found in the seminar room of the hospital, with Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer attached to the hospital, arrested in connection with the crime. The investigation had been initiated following directions issued by the Calcutta High Court.
The case pertains to alleged financial irregularities in procurement and allied matters at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital during Ghosh's tenure as principal. The Calcutta High Court, through an August 23, 2024 order in connection with a plea, had directed a probe into the matter, after which the FIR registered at Tala police station was taken over by the CBI's Anti-Corruption Branch. The CBI subsequently registered a regular case against Ghosh and three entities -- Maa Tara Traders, Eshan Cafe and Khama Louha -- under sections related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Officials stated that "prima facie materials" indicated acts of commission and omission by Ghosh, forming the basis for prosecution approval.
The order noted that the alleged offences were scheduled offences under the PMLA, following which the Enforcement Directorate initiated a money laundering investigation by registering an ECIR in August 2024. According to Business Standard and Indiablooms, "Prima facie, materials examined by the competent authority revealed criminal acts of commission and omission on the part of Sandip Ghosh." The ED's involvement in the prosecution now provides additional legal framework for pursuing the case, with the agency's expertise in financial crimes complementing the existing CBI investigation. The sanction enables the ED to move ahead with prosecution under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and related laws.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet on November 29, 2025 in a case involving alleged financial misconduct at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The chargesheet named Sandip Ghosh along with Dr. Ashish Kumar Pandey, Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra and Afsar Ali Khan in connection with the alleged irregularities. Ghosh was also questioned by the CBI in relation to the murder investigation, and polygraph tests were conducted on him during the course of the probe. A court in Sealdah granted bail to former Tala Police Station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal and Sandip Ghosh after the CBI failed to submit a chargesheet within the mandatory 90-day period prescribed under law. The case had earlier drawn national attention following the rape and murder of a doctor on the hospital premises, which triggered wider scrutiny of the institution's functioning.
