While the rape-murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata shocked the nation, it brought focus on the nexus of corruption in medical colleges of Bengal
The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh and three others in connection with the alleged financial irregularities at the facility, which is under intense scrutiny over alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor there last month.
Officials said the three others who have been arrested are Ghosh’s security guard Afsar Ali, 44, and hospital vendors Biplav Singha, 52, and Suman Hazara, 46, who used to supply material to the hospital. The arrests came in the wake of the case filed by the government and by Akhtar Ali, former deputy superintendent of the hospital.
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While the rape-murder shocked the nation, it brought focus on the nexus of corruption in medical colleges of Bengal. Amid the allegations against the ex-principal, a junior doctor told News18 that Ghosh is not alone. “There is a syndicate which is active across Bengal, which intimidates and extorts students. From getting a question paper to promoting doctors to getting stuff from home, everything used to run through this syndicate,” he alleged.
VIRAL AUDIO CLIPS
Various audio clips have gone viral, hinting at the nexus at RG Kar Hospital. News18 has not independently verified the authenticity of the clips.
Here’s a transcript of one of them:
Senior doctor: Can you hear me ? When will you become a doctor?
Student: May
Senior: If you don’t get a certificate what will happen ?
Junior: Why?
Senior: Will you roam around the Medical Council? You remember Dr (a name is mentioned)…I stopped his certificate. Do I stop your certificate too?
Junior: What have I done?
Senior: You know my name? You will know the day I will come and throw all of you out, then you will know…You are doing MC DSA? Do it, but not inside college. I will stop the registration, then you will have to go to court. I will bring people and then you will see. We will not bring people from outside, all MBBS students will be there. Don’t do all this. If you want to know who I am, go and ask your Principal and Dean. If you want to complain, write my name properly. I only call people once, if you don’t listen, you will face the consequence. If you have guts, go and complain.
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST RG KAR
In case of RG Kar, there are allegations that doctors in the hospital used to help Ghosh. “He had his own coterie to threaten junior doctors and extort them," alleged Chandramouli, an ex-student, whose registration was stopped and had to get it from court.
Dr Anubhab Ghosh, a junior doctor at RG Kar, alleged: “It’s an open secret that he used to take money to pass students in exam and bribe from vendors. He was immensely powerful."
Several students and former students that News18 spoke to alleged that Ghosh and other corrupt doctors in the administration used to fail a lot of students on purpose and used to say they could be passed if they paid money.
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Another allegation is that the question paper was leaked to a huge section of students in exchange for money.
Dr Chandramouli alleged the involvement of Dr Birupakho, Dr Avik, Dr Sudipto Roy (Sreerampur Trinamool Congress MLA and Chairman of Rogi Kalyan Samithy of RG Kar).
Another student Dr Saikat alleged that areas and colleges were divided among various corrupt senior doctors. “It is just how mafias divide their territories. All these people use to get power from somebody very powerful and close to the administration. The CBI should look into this," he said.
The nexus got money from all tenders too, allege students.
