RG Kar scam: CBI reaches residence of Trinamool MLA

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the financial irregularities case at state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata, on Thursday, arrived at the residence of four-time Trinamool Congress MLA from Serampore Assembly constituency in Hooghly district, Dr Sudipto Roy.

Besides conducting road and search operations at his residence at Sinthi crossing in North Kolkata, the CBI officials are also conducting similar operations at the private nursing home owned by him adjacent to his residence.

The four-time party legislator, Roy occupies other important positions like the chairman of the patients’ welfare committee of R.G. Kar and is a member of the West Bengal Medical Recruitment Board.

He is also the former president of the West Bengal Medical Council.

The team of CBI officials reached his residence and office around 1.15 p.m. and started the raid and search operations. Some members of the central agency team are also interrogating Roy in the matter.

Sources said that the statement of Roy will also be recorded.

The CBI action at Roy’s residence has taken place as three teams of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials are conducting parallel raid and search operations at three different locations in the city and its outskirts, including the ancestral residence of Sandip Ghosh, the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar.

Sources said that an initial investigation by the CBI has revealed that the smuggling of biomedical wastes from R.G. Kar was a major part of the financial scam.

As per rules, the biomedical wastes of any hospital are supposed to be disposed of following a particular procedure to eliminate the chances of their reuse. However, in the case of R.G. Kar, a major part of the biological wastes having the potential of reuse like saline bottles, injection syringes and needles, among others, were sold in the market instead of being disposed of.

Each hospital is also supposed to maintain a record of the amount of biomedical waste being disposed of by its authorities over a certain period. Often it has been noticed that in the case of R.G. Kar the quantum of the biomedical wastes disposed of by its authorities during a certain period was much less than what was reported by other state-run medical colleges and hospitals of similar size during the same period.