Kolkata rape-murder case: HC directs ex-principal of RG Kar Medical College to take leave amid reappointment dispute

The Calcutta High Court has asked the former principal of RG Kar Medical College Sandip Ghosh to submit a leave application by 3 pm on Tuesday.

This comes after Ghosh's appointment as principal of Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata immediately after his resignation triggered protests.

Sandip Ghosh resigned from the position of principal at RG Kar Medical College on Monday alleging that he was being defamed on social media platforms following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the hospital premises.

The Chief Justice division bench of the Calcutta HC was considering several PILs in the matter on Tuesday. During the hearing, the Chief Justice questioned the appointment of the former principal.

"How can the principal - who resigned by taking moral responsibility, be appointed as the principal of another government college? The court has asked him to submit a leave application by 3 pm today or the court will pass an order for him to leave the position," the court observed.

The court further mentioned that he could be holding an administrative post but he should have been the first one to be questioned.

"Why are you protecting him? Record his statement. Let him tell whatever he knows," the court asked the state counsel.

Chief Justice Division bench directed the state government to file the case diary of the matter before the court today. It has also asked to produce the resignation letter and the appointment letter of the principal.
"It needs to be seen as to what he has written in his resignation letter," the court added.

On Monday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that she had asked the police to arrest the accused as soon as possible adding that if the police are unable to solve it, then the case will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"The day I got to know about the incident from the Kolkata Police Commissioner, I told him that it was a sad incident and immediate action should be taken and a fast-track court should also be set up immediately...There were nurses and security, but I am still unable to understand how this incident took place. Police have informed me that there was someone inside (Hospital). The Principal of RG Kar Hospital has resigned. Police, Dog Squad, Forensic department and other teams are on the job. Investigation has been started to arrest the accused and police are trying to arrest him as early as possible. If the Police are unable to solve this case by Sunday, then we will not keep this case in our hands, we will hand it over to CBI," she said.

A post-graduate trainee doctor was found dead inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. An investigation has established rape and murder.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)