Kolkata: The arrest of Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over corruption charges has ignited a storm of controversy, uncovering disturbing allegations from the past.
Ghosh, who is currently facing accusations of financial misconduct including the illegal sale of unclaimed corpses and the trafficking of biomedical waste, is also under scrutiny for a 2017 sexual harassment claim.
An old report from the South China Morning Post, recently resurfaced on social media, details a troubling incident involving Ghosh. The report recounts an allegation from a Hong Kong nursing student who accused Ghosh of inappropriate behavior during a clinical attachment program at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong.
The student alleged that Ghosh, then head of the orthopedics department at Murshidabad Medical College, had touched him inappropriately and made a suggestive remark, “Do you like it?”
Ghosh, defending himself, claimed the touch was accidental and occurred while he was demonstrating how to treat a dislocated shoulder. He asserted that his comment was meant to instruct the student, not to harass him.
Supporting Ghosh’s defense, Dr. Wilson Li, who supervised Ghosh during his Hong Kong visit, testified that an MRI scan revealed Ghosh might have had a dislocated shoulder around the time of the incident.
Further complicating matters, orthopedic doctor Utpal Banerjee, a former colleague of Ghosh, recalled a previous controversy surrounding Ghosh’s trip to Hong Kong. Banerjee suggested that Ghosh faced allegations of sexual harassment and was reportedly assisted in returning to India through the Orthopaedic Association’s connections.
Currently, Ghosh’s legal troubles have intensified with the CBI’s investigation into alleged corruption during his tenure at RG Kar Medical College. Accusations against him include illegal financial transactions and coercion of students for exam payments.
Both the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court have questioned why Ghosh, who was principal during a brutal crime at the medical college, failed to file a police complaint. The ongoing scrutiny of Ghosh’s actions continues to attract significant public and legal attention.
