The Bengal BJP is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) takes over the investigation into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where a junior doctor was raped and killed on August 9.

The party’s desperation is aimed at attacking chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the state health minister, with more vigour, said a source.

Amid the uproar surrounding the August 9 incident and the “irresponsible” role of the authorities, the state government on August 16 formed a four-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Pranav Kumar to probe allegations against the state-run hospital like irregularities in handling biomedical waste and misuse of government funds allotted during the Covid-19 period.

A source said the SIT was hurriedly set up to probe corruption charges during the tenure of former principal Sandip Ghosh in the wake of the August 9 brutality as the state administration wanted to send out a message that it intended to act tough against the discredited official.

Multiple sources in the BJP said that the formation of the SIT was a kind of an admission on the part of the state government that financial irregularities and corruption did take place at the hospital. Hence, the probe should naturally be handed over to the ED as the central agency is equipped to handle such investigations.

“If the ED takes over the alleged financial corruption case and uncovers irregularities involving RG Kar, it would become a significant political weapon for the party to directly target Mamata Banerjee, causing further embarrassment for the TMC. This will also help us intensify our demand for her resignation,” said a senior BJP leader.

Top BJP leaders have already begun demanding that the ED take over the case as the scale of corruption is “as big” as the public distribution scam.

A source said that the party’s central leadership has conveyed to the state unit to build a movement against corruption in the health department and launch a direct movement to corner the state government, especially Mamata.

“There are allegations of financial irregularities involving central funds allotted for various purposes, including infrastructure development during the Covid-19 pandemic. We demand the ED take over the case and expose the scams at RG Kar and expand the scope of the probe into corruption in the health department,” said Jagannath Chattopadhyay, a state general secretary of the BJP.

According to him, the handing over of the case to the ED was a natural corollary as in the case of the PDS scam in which the CBI found largescale financial irregularities and got the ED involved. Former food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick has already been arrested in connection with the alleged PDS scam.

A BJP source said that despite Mallick’s arrest — and that of former education minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the recruitment scam — the central agencies had not been able to bring Mamata under the scope of any probe.

“If the ED begins tracking the money trail related to corruption in the health department, they can bring the CM under the probe,” a BJP
leader said.

Although BJP leaders have claimed that the party had no plans to move court directly to seek an ED probe into the alleged corruption in RG Kar, they indicated that they would provide legal support to any organisation or individual doing so.

Akhtar Ali, a health official and former deputy superintendent (non-medical) at RG Kar, who accused former principal Sandip Ghosh of involvement in a “major biomedical waste scam”, filed a petition before Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj of Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, seeking an order directing the ED to investigate the alleged financial scam involving Ghosh.

The judge is expected to hear the petition in detail on Thursday, according to a high court source.

A BJP source said that the party would extend legal aid to Ali in securing an order for an ED probe.

“There is also the option of some organisation approaching the Supreme Court demanding an ED probe, as the CBI is already investigating the August 9 brutality,” said a BJP leader.

Trinamool leaders claimed that the BJP was seeking ED’s involvement to create an anarchy-like situation.

“The BJP couldn’t even gather 500 people for their dharna near Shyambazar Metro. A series of incidents involving rape and atrocities against women have been reported in BJP-ruled states in recent days. They are attempting to push for an ED probe to create chaos in the state,” said TMC leader Kunal Ghosh.