Principal Who Resigned Over Kolkata Doctor Murder Now Heads Top Medical College (image/rgkarmch.in)

Following his resignation as the principal of RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, Dr. Sandip Ghosh has been appointed as the principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH), the city’s top teaching hospital. The move has come under criticism as massive protests take place across India over the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor on campus.

Soon after, Calcutta High Court directed Ghosh to go on leave. “Otherwise, I will give him an order and ask him,” stated the Chief Justice of the court.

Watch Also: Why Are Doctors Across India Protesting?

Health ministry official Suhrita Paul will replace Ghosh as the principal of RG Kar Medical College. Ajay Kumar Ray, the previous principal of CNMCH, has been transferred to the health ministry.

While resigning this morning, Dr. Ghosh claimed that he took the “moral responsibility” of the incident. “For the last few days, my family and I have been subjected to various adverse comments. So I have decided to resign. I have never been part of any kind of political game,” he said.

Ghosh added, “The deceased doctor was like my daughter. As a parent, I resign… I don’t like that this should happen to anyone in  the future.” Protests against him intensified after he made remarks questioning why the victim had gone to an empty seminar room alone at night.

Meanwhile, students of CNMCH are protesting against Ghosh, demanding his ouster, by blocking his entry into the campus premises.

BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, took to X to question the role of Dr. Ghosh in the matter. Ghosh was appointed as the principal of RG Kar Medical College in mid-2021 after he worked at CNMCH. While working at the former institution, Ghosh was transferred by the state health department on two occasions. However, he was quickly reinstated.

“Such is his influence that once a Govt order for his removal was cancelled within 48 hours and another time after he was removed and transferred to the Murshidabad Medical College but found his way back to R.G. Kar within a month,” said Adhikari.

In September 2023, Ghosh was transferred to Murshidabad Medical College on September 11 after a ragging incident at the college was reported with trainee doctors close to Ghosh as the alleged perpetrators. In October, Ghosh was back at RG Kar.

The body of the trainee doctor was discovered in the seminar room of the college on Friday morning. The four-page postmortem report revealed that her thyroid cartilage was broken due to strangling, and a deep wound was found in her private parts.

Read Also: Accused Slept, Washed Clothes After Raping And Killing Kolkata Doctor

According to the Indian Express, serious allegations of misappropriation of funds and irregularities in procurement processes were levelled against Ghosh during his tenure in RG Kar Hospital. The report further stated that the wounds in her private parts were caused by “perverted sexuality” and “genital torture.”

Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in connection with the case based on CCTV footage that showed him entering the building where the body was found.

The crime has sparked widespread outrage, with doctors and nurses leading protests in Kolkata, Delhi, and other parts of India.