The West Bengal government on Monday, 18 May granted formal sanction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute Sandip Ghosh, former principal of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, in connection with the R.G. Kar financial irregularities case. Ghosh is also accused in the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the same institution in August 2024, a case that has gripped the nation for months.

What the Sanction Covers

The formal prosecution sanction granted by the state government is specifically limited to the financial irregularities case, in which the ED is the primary investigating agency. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting a parallel probe into both the financial irregularities and the rape and murder case — the latter referred to by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari as the 'Sister Abhaya case' — and the state sanction does not extend to that investigation.

Chief Minister Announces Decision on Social Media

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the sanction by sharing the formal order on his social media handle. In his statement, Adhikari said he felt 'fortunate' to have taken what he described as a 'significant and positive step.' He directly criticised the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, alleging it had 'forcibly and immorally stalled the investigation process of this case for a long time.'

'We believe that no one is above the law. The truth cannot be suppressed. I want the real culprits in the Sister Abhaya case identified quickly, given the strictest punishment, and for the people of Bengal to witness justice,' Adhikari's statement read. He also offered a prayer for the victim's soul.

IPS Officers Suspended Over Initial Probe Lapses

The prosecution sanction follows a series of accountability measures. Last week, Adhikari ordered the immediate suspension of three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers — former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal and two former Deputy Commissioners, Indira Mukerjee and Abhishek Gupta — over their roles during the initial investigation, which was conducted by Kolkata Police before the Calcutta High Court transferred the probe to the CBI.

Political Dimension and Victim's Family

The case carries a sharp political dimension. The victim's mother, Ratna Debnath, is now an elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Panihati Assembly constituency in North 24 Parganas district — a fact that underscores the degree to which the R.G. Kar case has been woven into Bengal's political fabric. The BJP, now in power in the state, has framed the prosecution sanction as a corrective to what it characterises as TMC-era obstruction of justice.

What Comes Next

With the ED now formally empowered to prosecute Sandip Ghosh in the financial irregularities case, the pace of proceedings before the relevant court is expected to accelerate. The CBI's parallel track on the rape and murder case continues independently. Legal observers note that the dual-agency structure — ED on finances, CBI on the crime — means outcomes in the two cases may diverge significantly in timeline and sentencing.