Ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh, Cop Get Bail In RG Kar Case, Victim’s Parents Say ‘System Failing Us’ – News18

Last Updated:December 13, 2024, 18:44 IST

Ghosh and Mondal were arrested in August this year after state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital hogged media attention after a 31-year-old doctor’s body was found in the fourth-floor seminar room of the hospital.

A Kolkata court on Friday granted bail to Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and Abhijit Mondal, the then officer-in-charge of the Tala police station, in connection with the rape and murder case of a 31-year-old doctor as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) couldn’t file the chargesheet against them within the 90 days period.

The additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM), Sealdah court, granted bail to the two accused persons as chargesheet against them was not filed within the mandatory 90-day period, a lawyer representing Ghosh said.

Mondal’s lawyer told reporters outside the court that he will walk out of the correctional home where he is incarcerated on judicial remand. However, Ghosh would remain behind the bars as he has been arrested by the probe agency’s anti-corruption branch in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the medical establishment during his tenure.

Ghosh and Mondal were arrested in August this year after state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital hogged media attention after a 31-year-old doctor’s body was found in the fourth-floor seminar room of the hospital. The doctor was allegedly raped and killed by a civic volunteer Sanjay Roy in the intervening night of August 9-10.

The were arrested on the charges of misleading the probe into the case.

Ghosh was accused of being involved in causing “considerable delay in registration of FIR”, according to a petition by the agency in a CBI court. While the trainee doctor’s body was found on the morning of August 9, the police took over 12 hours to convert the case of unnatural death into an FIR (first information report), a gap that has invited the Supreme Court’s scrutiny. Sources suggested that CBI fears evidence destruction in the case.

The metropolis police arrested one person, a civic volunteer who had easy access to the hospital, soon after they launched an investigation, but the Calcutta high court handed over the probe to CBI amid allegations of evidence destruction and cover-up. The central agency had pointed to the lack of evidence in the Supreme Court as well.

CBI sources said they were not convinced about the answers Ghosh gave during his quizzing. While the former RG Kar principal had said that he got to know about the incident at 10:20 am, his driver had informed officials that he was asked to come to the Ghosh residence at 6am, the sources said.

The RG Kar incident had sparked massive protests, brought the functioning of the hospital as well as Bengal’s health system under the scanner, prompted a scrutiny of the case by the Calcutta HC and the Supreme Court, spawned allegations of a larger conspiracy, led to the passing of a stringent anti-rape bill in the state assembly, and sparked a bitter political war of words.

‘System Failing Us’: Victims’ Parents

Expressing disappointment with the CBI investigation, the parents of the deceased doctor said that they were heartbroken with the two key suspects in the case getting bail and it seemed like the “system” was failing them.

“We thought the CBI would speed up the investigation and bring those responsible to justice. But now, with the accused being granted bail, it feels like the system is failing us,” said the mother of the victim whose body was found in the hospital on August 9.

“Every day, we wonder if this will be another case in which the powerful escape without punishment,” she said.

(With inputs from agencies)