The Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh has triggered renewed criticism of the Central Bureau of Investigation from the parents of the RG Kar rape-and-murder victim and doctors in Kolkata, who have questioned the slow progress of the corruption case and demanded movement in the related criminal investigation.
The Supreme Court granted Ghosh bail on Thursday after noting that he had spent more than two years in custody while only seven of 147 witnesses had been examined in the corruption case. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale passed the order after the Calcutta High Court had earlier denied bail, citing the interests of the trial.
Ghosh is accused of financial irregularities linked to his tenure as principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He was also accused of conspiracy in connection with the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the hospital in August 2024. The case led to widespread protests and scrutiny of the hospital’s administration and investigative procedures.
The victim’s father criticised the CBI over the pace of the investigation and reiterated the family’s demand for a chargesheet against Ghosh in the rape-and-murder case. He said Monish Upadhyay, who led the CBI investigation, had told him that there was little the agency could do at present and that the process would take time.
The victim’s mother, Ratna Debnath, who is now a BJP MLA from Panihati, said the state government could not be held directly responsible for the CBI’s actions because the agency was independent. She said the agency would nevertheless have to provide answers over the progress of the investigation.
The family’s criticism comes amid continued public attention on the division of responsibility between state authorities and a central investigating agency in a case that began with the discovery of the trainee doctor’s body at the hospital. Ghosh resigned as principal and was later arrested over alleged financial irregularities. The CBI also arrested Abhijit Mondal, then officer-in-charge of Tala police station, over allegations involving evidence tampering and related investigative lapses.
The Supreme Court’s observations on witness examination have placed the trial’s pace at the centre of the bail decision. With seven of 147 witnesses examined, the court considered the period already spent in custody while granting relief to Ghosh. The bail order does not conclude the corruption case or determine the allegations against him.
Junior doctor Aniket Mahata, a prominent figure in the RG Kar movement, said the decision had renewed anger among doctors and called for a united effort for justice. The Joint Platform of Doctors also criticised the CBI and warned of a larger agitation over the investigation’s slow progress.
The immediate next steps are the continuation of the corruption trial and further progress in the CBI investigation into the related allegations. The victim’s family continues to seek a chargesheet against Ghosh in the rape-and-murder case.
