Kolkata rape and murder case: Medical registration of R.G. Kar ex-principal Sandip Ghosh cancelled

Medical registration of former RGKMCH principal Sandip Ghosh cancelled amidst outrage over rape-murder case, sparking protests against WBMC corruption.

Amidst the continuing outrage in Kolkata over the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMCH), the medical registration of Sandip Ghosh, its former principal, has been cancelled.

Numerous medical bodies had sought the cancellation of his registration after he was taken into the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody on September 14 in connection with the rape-murder case and financial irregularities at the RGKMCH.

The West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) issued a show-cause notice on Mr. Ghosh on September 6. He was asked to send a formal reply within three days, but he failed to do so. Hence, the WBMC confirmed that his registration was cancelled under various provisions of the Bengal Medical Act. This comes after the West Bengal chapter of the Indian Medical Association too demanded that his registration be cancelled.

The WBMC order read: “Your name is removed from the Register of Registered Medical Practitioner being maintained by this council, with effect from 19th September 2024, in terms of the provisions contained under section 25(a) (ii) of the Bengal Medical Act.”

Hundreds of senior doctors met outside the WBMC office on Thursday (September 19, 2024) to protest against the mishandling of the rape-murder case and corruption in the RGKMCH. They demanded that the WBMC be dissolved as many of its members had been accused of corruption and involvement in the case. “All tainted members holding posts in the WBMC should be removed,” they said.

They arrived at the WBMC to file a complaint, but could not enter the office as barricades had been placed by the police. A senior doctor at the protest site said, “We are peaceful doctors who have come to file a complaint. We do not understand why we are being stopped by the police when the WBMC belongs to all doctors.” Finally, nine of the representatives were allowed to go in and file the complaint.