The CBI on Tuesday produced former RG Kar Medical College principal Sandip Ghosh and his three alleged accomplices in a special court and said they were part of a “great nexus” involved in “illegal financial transactions”.

“The four persons, including Ghosh, are part of a great nexus involved in multiple illegal financial transactions. This nexus was involved in granting favours for money at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital,” CBI lawyer Ram Babu Kanojia told the special CBI court in Alipore.

Four more arrests are likely, the lawyer said. “Illegal firms had been formed, so undue advantages and favours could be granted. The area of offence is much bigger and four more persons can be arrested.”

The CBI’s anti-corruption branch arrested Ghosh on Monday evening for his alleged involvement in financial irregularities.

Ghosh’s role in the hospital has been the centre of attention since a junior doctor was found raped and murdered in the Emergency Building of RG Kar on August 9. Ghosh resigned as the RG Kar principal a few days later.

The other three arrested are Afsar Ali, who was Ghosh’s additional security guard; Biplab Singha, who supplied medicines and other items to the hospital; and Suman Hazra, who allegedly supplied medicines and medical equipment at inflated rates to the hospital.

All four were charged with cheating, forging documents, fraudulent use of original documents and criminal conspiracy. They have also been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“These people have been booked under specific sections of law. There is a great possibility that additional charges will be slapped against them during the investigation,” CBI lawyer Kanojia told a packed courtroom.

“Custodial interrogation of the four accused is needed to collect physical evidence. We want to confront the four accused with each other during questioning.”

The CBI sought their custody for 10 days. The court granted eight days’ custody.

Ghosh was escorted to the Alipore court from the CBI’s Nizam Palace office around 3.50pm amid tight security.

As Ghosh walked into the courtroom, a section of lawyers shouted slogans and hurled abuses at him.

Ali, Singha and Hazra walked in behind Ghosh wearing surgical masks. A section of lawyers inside the room demanded that the three take off their masks.

After the judge pronounced the custody period and the four accused were being escorted out of the courtroom, a section of onlookers slapped Ghosh as he tried to board the car.

Slogans of “Sandip Ghosh thief” were heard in the court compound as the CBI left with Ghosh and the other three.

Ghosh’s lawyer told the court that he had been cooperating with the central agency and responded to all its summons.

The lawyer pleaded with the court to reduce the period of custody.

The special CBI judge asked Kanojia about Ali in particular.

“Afsar Ali. Who is he?” the judge asked. “Is he a health department official? Why is he here?”

In reply, Kanojia said Afsar was an additional security guard posted in the office of the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital by the health department.

He was among the 34 inductees recruited as additional security personnel by the health department and posted at medical colleges.

“Afsar won a contract and ran a canteen at the medical college and hospital (RG Kar), apart from working as an additional security guard,” Kanojia told the court. “He is also a part of this nexus.”

Sources in the CBI said Afsar’s name featured in the FIR, along with those of Hazra and Singha, lodged by Debal Kumar Ghosh, a special secretary in the health department, with Tala police station on August 19.

The trio’s names also featured in the complaint filed by Akhtar Ali, a former deputy superintendent of RG Kar. After hearing Ali’s petition, the high court asked the CBI to probe the alleged irregularities, besides the rape and murder.

“...(there was) serious nepotism in selecting the vendors. Only three vendors named Suman Hazra, Biplob Singha and Afsar Khan were getting orders,” read Ali’s complaint to the state vigilance commission in July 2023.

Sources in the CBI said Ghosh was involved in letting out government assets like food stalls, canteens and a toilet complex in the RG Kar compound without permission from the authoritiesand without floating anytender.

Ghosh has also been accused of splitting work orders illegally to keep the worth of each project below ₹1 lakh and avoid e-tendering.

The charges of financial irregularities against Ghosh involve selling bio-medical waste such as syringes, gloves and used saline bottles, a senior CBI officer said. Sources said Ghosh was part of a nexus that sold used saline bottlesto a Bangladeshi nationalillegally.