Kolkata, May 18 (IANS) The West Bengal government on Monday gave formal permission to the ED to prosecute former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, who has been tainted in both the R.G. Kar financial irregularities case as well as the rape and murder of a junior doctor of the same hospital in August 2024.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari by sharing the order granting formal permission to the ED on his social media handle.

However, since the ED is conducting the probe into the R.G. Kar financial irregularities case, the formal permission granted by the state government to prosecute and convict Sandip Ghosh is limited to that case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is conducting a parallel probe into the R.G. Kar financial irregularities case as well as the rape and murder case within the same hospital premises in August 2024.

In his social media statement, Adhikari claimed he felt fortunate to have taken a significant and positive step as Chief Minister by granting this formal permission to the Enforcement Directorate.

“The previous Trinamool Congress government forcibly and immorally stalled the investigation process of this case for a long time. But we believe that no one is above the law. The truth cannot be suppressed. I want the real culprits in the Sister Abhaya case identified quickly, given the strictest punishment, and for the people of Bengal to witness justice. I pray for the eternal peace of Sister Abhaya’s soul,” his statement read.

Already last week, the Chief Minister had ordered the immediate suspension of three Indian Police Service officers, namely former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal and two former Deputy Commissioners, Indira Mukerjee and Abhishek Gupta, over their doubtful roles when the initial investigation in the rape and murder case was being carried out by Kolkata Police before the probe was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation by the Calcutta High Court.

Incidentally, the victim’s mother, Ratna Debnath, is now an elected Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Panihati Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district.

–IANS

src/dan