The name of Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, has resurfaced in a 2017 molestation case involving a student nurse in Hong Kong. This revelation adds another layer of controversy to Ghosh’s already troubled past, as he faces investigations for alleged financial irregularities and organ trafficking at RG Kar Hospital.
The Hong Kong case involved a student nurse who accused Ghosh, an Indian government doctor, of sexual assault while participating in a clinical attachment program in Hong Kong. The incident allegedly took place on April 8, 2017, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kowloon, where Ghosh, an orthopedic doctor, was accused of indecently touching the student nurse. Ghosh maintained that the situation was a misunderstanding, claiming he accidentally touched the nurse’s hip while demonstrating how to address a dislocated shoulder.
Despite Ghosh’s plea of not guilty, the Kowloon City magistrate’s court acquitted him, accepting his explanation that the incident was a misunderstanding stemming from his recurrent shoulder dislocation and the nurse’s possible misinterpretation of his English accent. Although acquitted, the case did impact Ghosh’s stay in Hong Kong, as the hospital stopped his posting after the lawsuit was filed.
Back in Kolkata, Ghosh is facing intense scrutiny in connection with the rape and murder of a 31-year-old PG trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital on August 9. The victim’s parents have alleged that hospital authorities initially attempted to portray their daughter’s death as a suicide. The CBI is investigating whether Ghosh played a role in this alleged cover-up.
Adding to the concerns surrounding Ghosh’s leadership, Dr. Akhtar Ali, RG Kar Hospital’s former deputy superintendent, has lodged multiple complaints about financial irregularities during Ghosh’s tenure as principal. There are also allegations that under Ghosh’s watch, organs from unidentified bodies sent to the hospital for post-mortem were frequently sold on the black market at exorbitant prices.
The Hong Kong molestation case, coupled with the allegations of financial impropriety and organ trafficking at RG Kar Hospital, paint a disturbing picture of Sandip Ghosh’s conduct and leadership. As the CBI probes these allegations, the full extent of Ghosh’s involvement in these serious matters remains to be seen.
