The high court on Friday called Sandip Ghosh, who was the principal of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital when the junior doctor was raped and murdered, a “powerful person” who had “the state with him” and asked him to approach police directly for protection.

Ghosh moved the court on Friday seeking protection as he apprehended an attack on him. The court did not issue any such order and told the lawyer appearing for Ghosh that his client was powerful enough to secure protection from the police.

“Your client is a powerful person. The state is with him. Whenever he will seek protection, police will provide it. If he wants a force of 500, 500 policemen will reach his residence for his protection. So, ask him to seek protection from the police,” Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam told Ghosh’s lawyer.

“If the police decline to give him protection, then we will ask the central force,” he said.

The lawyer alleged that hundreds of people had raided his client’s residence on Wednesday and prayed for an urgent hearing.

He approached the court in the midst of the hearing of a plea by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and others. The lawyer told the court his client had approached the police but did not receive any protection.

The chief justice then said he could not “seek any order during hearing of other cases”.

“Whatever you have to say, say in an affidavit,” the court said.

The counsel for Ghosh also told the bench that he had received summons from the CBI but was afraid to go. “The CBI has called my client for interrogation. But he is feeling scared to go to the CBI office from his residence.”

The chief justice again asked him “to approach police”. “Police will escort him,” he said.

Ghosh resigned from the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on Monday
and was appointed the principal of the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital within hours. But students and junior doctors at Calcutta National Medical College sat outside the building housing the principal’s office and vowed not to let him join.

On August 13, the high court sent him on leave until further orders.

Sources in the state health department said Ghosh applied for a fortnight’s leave the same day and it was granted.