No relief for ex-RG Kar principal as Supreme Court gives nod to CBI probe

In a setback to former principal of RG Kar Hospital Dr Sandip Ghosh, the Supreme Court dismissed his petition challenging the Calcutta High Court's order transferring the probe into alleged financial irregularities at the institution to the CBI. The hospital grabbed attention after a trainee doctor was brutally raped and killed last month, triggering widespread outage.

Coming down hard on Ghosh, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said an "accused does not have the locus standi" to be heard in a plea seeking the transfer of investigation.

"As an accused, you have no locus to intervene in a PIL when the High Court is monitoring the investigation and transferring to the CBI," the CJI said.

Appearing for Dr Ghosh, who had been arrested by the CBI, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora said the petitioner had no objection to the probe but the High Court's observation linking the alleged irregularities with the murder incident.

However, the Chief Justice said this was a matter of investigation.

The advocate also sought to suggest that the petition, filed by a former staffer of the hospital, that led to the High Court order might be "motivated".

"Where the petitions are motivated by a certain factual background, then those petitions must be taken with utmost caution and care," Arora said.

Source: India Today