The West Bengal government has granted sanction to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to prosecute former RG Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh in connection with alleged financial irregularities and money laundering linked to the sensational Abhaya rape and murder case. The development was announced by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who described the move as a step toward ensuring justice in one of Bengal’s most controversial criminal cases.
The official order issued by the state government allows the ED to initiate prosecution proceedings against Sandip Ghosh under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Announcing the decision on social media, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the BJP government was committed to ensuring that those responsible for wrongdoing in the case are brought to justice.
“As Chief Minister, I consider myself fortunate to have taken a noble and positive step. In connection with the brutal rape and murder of our sister ‘Abhaya’ at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024, sanction has been formally accorded to the ED to prosecute the then principal Sandip Ghosh according to legal procedure,” Adhikari stated.
আজ আমি মুখ্যমন্ত্রী হিসেবে একটি মহতী ও সদর্থক পদক্ষেপ গ্রহণ করতে পেরে নিজেকে সৌভাগ্যবান মনে করছি।
গত ৯ই অগস্ট ২০২৪ সালে আর.জি.কর মেডিক্যাল কলেজ ও হাসপাতালে বোন অভয়ার নৃশংস খুন ও ধর্ষণের ঘটনায় তৎকালীন আর.জি. কর-এর সুপার; কুখ্যাত সন্দীপ ঘোষের বিরুদ্ধে আইনি পদ্ধতি অনুযায়ী ইডি কে… pic.twitter.com/8YVesKELxS— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) May 18, 2026
The Chief Minister also accused the previous All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of allegedly delaying and obstructing the investigation process. He claimed that the earlier administration attempted to suppress the case and protect those involved.
“The previous Trinamool Congress government had forcibly and unethically stalled the investigation process for a long time. But no one is above the law. Truth cannot remain hidden forever,” Adhikari said.
The order granting sanction reportedly states that West Bengal Governor R. N. Ravi, acting as the competent authority under Section 218 of the BNSS, was satisfied after examining FIRs, records and case materials that a prima facie case existed for prosecuting Sandip Ghosh before a court of law.
According to the sanction order, prosecution approval has been granted under Section 61 of the BNS, Section 318 of the BNS, Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for alleged scheduled offences linked to financial misconduct and corruption.
The controversy traces back to August 9, 2024, when the body of a trainee doctor, referred to publicly as “Abhaya,” was found inside the seminar room of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The incident triggered nationwide outrage, protests by doctors, student demonstrations and demands for accountability. Shortly after the incident, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was arrested in connection with the rape and murder case.
Parallel to the murder investigation, allegations of corruption and financial irregularities at RG Kar Medical College also surfaced. Following directions from the Calcutta High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched a probe into the financial misconduct allegations.
On November 29, 2025, the CBI filed a chargesheet naming Sandip Ghosh along with several others, including Dr Ashish Kumar Pandey, Biplab Singha, Suman Hazra and Afsar Ali Khan, accusing them of involvement in financial irregularities at the medical institution.
Sandip Ghosh was also questioned by the CBI in connection with the rape and murder investigation, and investigators conducted polygraph examinations as part of the probe. However, both Sandip Ghosh and former Tala Police Station officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal were later granted bail by the Sealdah Court after the CBI failed to file a chargesheet within the mandatory 90-day legal period.
The latest sanction order is expected to strengthen the ED’s ongoing money laundering investigation and could pave the way for further legal proceedings in the high-profile case that continues to dominate political and public discourse in West Bengal.
