Three days after the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Calcutta’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, principal Sandip Ghosh submitted his resignation taking “moral responsibility”.
“There is a conspiracy to remove me from my position,” Ghosh told the media on Monday morning. “I never asked what the doctor was doing at the seminal hall. A dirty politics is being played over the unfortunate incident.”
The police have arrested a civic volunteer cop, Sanjay Roy, who was allegedly at the hospital on Saturday morning.
The postgraduate trainee at the RG Kar Medical College Hospital’s chest department was found dead with multiple injuries on Friday morning, hours after she had retired to a seminar hall in the building.
She had gone there as there are no resting rooms for the junior doctors posted at the government teaching hospitals, the trainee doctors have pointed out.
“Within an hour of the murder being discovered I had informed the police and cooperated with the investigators. Yet I am being targeted,” said Ghosh.
The protesting doctors have demanded to see the resignation letter of the principal.
The RG Kar medical college and hospital's medical superintendent Sanjay Vashishth was removed on Sunday from his position. The Calcutta Police had transferred the assistant commissioner of police who was in charge of security at the teaching hospital.
Ghosh’s tenure has been marked with allegations. He was reportedly transferred to Murshidabad from RG Kar Medical College in September 2023 but returned to his old position within a fortnight.
Bengal BJP leader Tarunjyoti Tewari on Sunday questioned why Ghosh was reinstated despite being transferred twice.
“Sandip Ghosh was transferred to Murshidabad. Actually, he was transferred twice, but still managed to get back his position as Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. How?” asked Tewari on his X (formerly Twitter) handle. “Department is well aware of the notification published on December 13, 2011 regarding recruitment of principals of state medical teaching institutions. In case of Ghosh the rule was relaxed. Why?”
Tewari also alleged that a certain company made all supplies from curtains to laboratory equipment to the government hospital, and asked: “Who is running this company?”
Tewari claimed the state health department did not take action against Ghosh despite repeated complaints against him and those close to him.
“There was a specific allegation regarding selling of biomedical waste in open market by close aides of the principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Still, no steps were taken. Why?”
Tewari claimed a specific complaint was lodged before the state vigilance commission but no action was taken. He said the anti-corruption bureau had merely forwarded the complaint to the state health department without any inquiry.
On Monday Ghosh denied all allegations against him.
“There are crooks in the medical profession,” he said. “I am a qualified orthopedic surgeon and will manage to earn a living. Everyone thought Ghosh will not resign. I am an honest person. Earlier the doctors here would demand money to even issue death and birth certificates. I put a stop to that.”
