The Calcutta High Court has instructed Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, to submit a leave application by 3 pm on Tuesday. This directive follows protests triggered by Ghosh’s immediate appointment as principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata after his resignation.
Ghosh resigned from his position at RG Kar Medical College on Monday, citing defamation on social media following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor on the hospital premises.
On Tuesday, the Chief Justice’s division bench of the Calcutta HC was reviewing several PILs related to the case. During the hearing, the Chief Justice questioned the decision to appoint Ghosh to another government college despite his resignation over moral responsibility.
“How can someone who resigned on moral grounds be appointed as the principal of another institution? The court has asked him to submit a leave application by 3 pm today, or it will order his removal from the position,” the court stated.
The court further noted that while Ghosh might hold an administrative role, he should have been the first person to be questioned in the investigation. “Why is he being protected? Record his statement and let him disclose whatever information he has,” the court instructed the state counsel.
The Chief Justice’s division bench also directed the state government to present the case diary, Ghosh’s resignation letter, and his appointment letter to the court. “It is crucial to examine what he wrote in his resignation letter,” the court added.
On Monday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee stated that she had instructed the police to arrest the accused as quickly as possible. She added that if the police are unable to resolve the case, it would be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“A postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. The investigation has confirmed rape and murder,” she said. Banerjee also mentioned that despite the presence of nurses and security, it remains unclear how the incident occurred. She assured that the police, forensic teams, and other departments are working diligently to apprehend the suspect.