The Indian Medical Association has suspended Dr. Sandip Ghosh's membership following his tenure as Principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, where a doctor was raped and murdered earlier this month. Dr. Ghosh underwent a lie-detector test on August 26 and is accused of negligence, including failing to report the discovery of the woman's body to the police.  

Although he is not charged with the murder, he is facing non-bailable corruption charges. Additionally, allegations have emerged from a former employee suggesting that Dr. Ghosh was involved in trafficking dead bodies and biomedical waste at RG Kar Hospital, with claims that this corruption might be connected to the murder. 

The CBI has conducted an extensive 11-hour search of Dr. Sandip Ghosh's Kolkata residence, claiming to have collected substantial evidence, and has questioned him for nearly 90 hours to date. 

In a brief statement, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) noted that the family of the murdered doctor had raised concerns about Dr. Ghosh’s handling of the situation, citing a lack of empathy and sensitivity. The IMA also highlighted complaints from doctors in Bengal who accused Dr. Ghosh of tarnishing the profession's reputation with his actions. Consequently, the disciplinary committee decided to suspend his membership. 

Dr. Ghosh has been at the centre of controversy since the discovery of the murdered doctor's body. He resigned from his position shortly afterwards, citing moral responsibility. However, just hours later, the Bengal government appointed him to lead the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital. 

The appointment of Dr. Ghosh to lead the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital sparked intense protests from both CNMC staff and those demonstrating against the doctor's murder. The Calcutta High Court intervened, ordering Dr. Ghosh to take "long leave" and questioning the legitimacy of his appointment. This led to accusations from critics of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and protesters that the state government was protecting Dr. Ghosh. 

Additionally, Dr. Ghosh faced criticism from the Supreme Court, which scrutinised his involvement in the case and reiterated that the delay in reporting the incident to the police was unacceptable. 

The court questioned, "Why was the FIR lodged nearly 14 hours after the body was discovered? The Principal of the college should have acted immediately to ensure the FIR was filed. Who was he in contact with during this time?" 

So far, only one arrest has been made in connection with the rape and murder of the doctor: a police volunteer named Sanjoy Roy. Following the High Court's directive for the CBI to take over the investigation, there has been a political clash between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP. Both parties have exchanged criticisms regarding the effectiveness of the CBI compared to the state police. As of now, the CBI has not made any additional arrests in the case. 

Image source:  ANI