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Synopsis

The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Kolkata Police to transfer its case involving financial irregularities against former RG Kar principal, Dr. Sandeep Ghosh, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The central agency is expected to take possession of the case diary, CCTV footage, and all related documents by 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The case has been scheduled for its next hearing on September 7, with the CBI required to submit a progress report to the high court bench within three weeks following the transfer.

The single judge bench of Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj was hearing a petition filed by former Deputy Superintendent Akhtar Ali of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital alleging serious financial misconduct by Dr. Ghosh at the hospital during his tenure as Principal.

The investigation into Ghosh began after a four-member SIT was formed to look into the alleged financial misconduct at the state-run health facility, where the body of a postgraduate trainee doctor was discovered on August 9.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Ghosh, who resigned from his post as principal on August 12 citing "moral responsibility" following the August 9 incident, was promptly appointed as the principal of another medical college in Kolkata.

For the past eight days, Dr. Ghosh has been interrogated by the CBI as part of its investigation into the rape and murder of the doctor, an incident that has led to nationwide protests and prompted Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter.

Notably, on August 21, the high court denied a plea by Dr. Sandip Ghosh, former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College, and his wife, seeking to restrain media outlets from conducting a "media trial" against them.

Case Title: AKHTAR ALI VS STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS