Sandip Ghosh, the former Principal of RG Kar Hospital, has appealed to the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court's decision to transfer the SIT investigation into alleged irregularities in the tender processes and mismanagement under his watch to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sandip Ghosh, was in office during the brutal rape and murder of a junior doctor on August 9. On August 13, the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation into both the doctor's death and the alleged irregularities in the tender processes and mismanagement to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Ghosh has since challenged this decision in the Supreme Court.

The case is scheduled for an admission hearing before the bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on September 6.

Sandip Ghosh argues before the Supreme Court that the Calcutta High Court transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) without providing him an opportunity to present his side. He is also dissatisfied with the High Court's remarks, which he believes improperly connect the corruption allegations against him with the tragic incident involving the junior doctor at the hospital.

Significantly, the High Court bench, consisting of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, took issue with the classification of the junior doctor's death as a 'suicide' rather than an unnatural death. During the hearing of the related pleas, the bench also criticized Sandip Ghosh's rapid appointment to another college within 12 hours of his resignation from RG Kar Hospital, expressing concern over the circumstances surrounding the case.

“If the principal has stepped down owing moral responsibility, rather serious that he is rewarded within 12 hours with another appointment. There is an apprehension that with lost time there is something that will go wrong. No man is above law, how did he step down and then be rewarded with another responsibility? ''

''The principal is the guardian of all doctors working there, if he doesn't show any empathy who will show? He should be at home not working anywhere. So powerful that a government counsel is representing him? The principal will not function. Let him go on long leave. Otherwise, we will pass an order.”

The transferred investigation concerns allegations made by Akhtar Ali, the former Deputy Superintendent at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Ali has petitioned the Calcutta High Court against former Principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh, accusing him of significant illegalities. In his plea, Ali alleged that Ghosh engaged in serious misconduct, including mismanagement of dead bodies, reselling of biomedical waste in the open market, and misappropriation of public funds.

In a previous hearing, the High Court questioned why the State had only initiated the SIT investigation after the tragic incident on August 9, despite the fact that multiple complaints had been filed earlier. Additionally, the Kolkata Court had earlier permitted the CBI to conduct a polygraph test on Ghosh in connection with the doctor’s death.