Kolkata: A memo issued on the West Bengal government’s letterhead to the Public Works Department, calling for urgent repair and renovation at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital (RGKMC&H), just a day after a trainee on-duty doctor was raped and murdered in the hospital, has gone viral on social media.
Dated 10 August 2024, the memo appears to have been under-signed by the former principal of the hospital, Dr. Sandip Ghosh. A video, which appeared on social media on the same day, showed construction and demolition work next to the crime scene, raising an uproar over suspicions of destruction of evidence.
Investigating into alleged financial irregularities at the RG Kar hospital, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Anti Corruption Branch arrested Dr. Sandip Ghosh on Monday.
The memo, issued to the executive engineers of the electrical and civil departments of the PWD, reads, “I would like to inform you that there are deficiency of on duty Doctors’ Rooms and separate attached toilets in various departments of RGKMC&H, Kolkata. You are hereby requested to do the needful immediately as per demand of Residents’ Doctors of RGKMC&H (sic).”
ThePrint has accessed a copy of the memo.
However, on Thursday, top officials with the health department of the West Bengal government claimed that the memo “misrepresented” facts.
Speaking to ThePrint, a senior health official said that the health department gave no instructions for renovation work nor was the department aware of the memo.
“There was a discussion with junior doctors on the need for restrooms and toilets for doctors in the hospital, but we were not aware that the room next to the crime scene would be broken down while the matter is subjudice,” said the official.
The ‘leaked’ memo further reads: “The issue is already discussed and resolved in the meeting with Principal Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare Government of West Bengal & and Director of Medical Education, Department of Health & Family Welfare Government of West Bengal today in pre Board Room of RGKMC&H (sic).”
The health official said there was a meeting on the renovation work with stakeholders on the hospital campus but denied any instructions for such work in rooms on the corridor where the violent crime had occurred.
“There was no such instruction, and this has been misrepresented in this memo that hasn’t even been sent to the health department,” added the official.
In a post on X on Thursday, BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “Kolkata Police, the hospital administration and Mamata Banerjee have colluded to destroy all evidence and have sanitised the scene of crime. This is evil and raises further questions on their motives.”
This is explosive.
Yet another piece of evidence, which establishes that Dr Sandip Ghosh, now arrested, disgraced former Principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, ordered repair/renovation of toilet, near the Seminar Room (scene of crime) on 10th Aug, a day after the… pic.twitter.com/8w4tCMMbmf
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 5, 2024
The viral memo contradicts earlier claims by the hospital administration that initially emphasised that the renovation work was started before the rape-murder incident under the instructions of then-principal Ghosh to meet the demands of resident doctors.
Talking about the renovation work at the time, the Kolkata police told the media that the crime scene remained intact and cordoned off.
On Thursday, Trinamool Congress ministers Shashi Panja and Bratya Basu skipped questions about the memo at a news conference in Kolkata.
When a reporter pointed out that the renovation had led to charges of destruction of evidence, Basu countered, saying, “You can be CBI’s source and CBI can be your source, but the CBI needs to come forward and say there was evidence tampering.”
Lending support to her cabinet colleague, Shashi Panja added, “When the CBI is investigating, let it give the evidence and state the tampering charges.”
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
It’s great to see The Print trying to cover-up for the Mamata Banerjee administration’s misdeeds.
Ms. Sreyashi Dey has been a vocal supporter of the TMC and an ardent admirer of Ms. Mamata Banerjee. It is quite evident from her posts on X (formerly Twitter).
Her coverage of the Sandeshkhali horror was just as partisan and biased.
Basically, she has peddled the TMC narrative all along. And Mr. Shekhar Gupta has been complicit in this by providing her with a platform.
Mr. Gupta’s affection for Mamata Banerjee is well known too. He castigated and excoriated Mr. Adhir Ranjan Choudhury during the recently held general elections. Adhir’s crime? He had a spine and dared to criticize Mamata’s administration for state sponsored hooliganism and criminalisation of all state institutions.