New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday said the ongoing CBI probe into financial irregularities in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, following the rape-murder of a doctor, could be expanded to include other medical institutions of West Bengal after it was alleged that there was a well-entrenched gang working in the state.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it would not hesitate to expand the ambit of the probe.It also asked CBI to share its report with the state govt so that departmental action could be taken against people named for allegedly covering up the murder or indulging in financial irregularities.
The bench was hearing a suo motu case related to the rape-murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata after which people hit the road in massive protests.
Substantial leads have come upin RG Kar investigation, says SC
The court also expressed dissatisfaction over slow progress by state govt in installation of CCTVs and construction of toilets and separate resting rooms in govt medical colleges.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for Bengal govt, assured court that the state would try to complete the task by Oct 15.
Going through the probe report placed before it in a sealed cover, the bench said substantial leads had come up in the investigation.
Senior advocates Indira Jaising and Karuna Nundy, appearing for a resident doctors’ association, said many people facing allegations of financial irregularities were still holding positions of power in RG Kar hospital.
They said it was necessary that those people be kept under suspension till the probe was over. They said it would be difficult for doctors to work if such people continued to hold office there.
Dwivedi assured the court that appropriate action will be taken if CBI shared the names of such people.
The court also directed solicitor general Tushar Mehta to submit a report on the progress of National Task Force and posted the hearing in the rape-murder case to Oct 14.
The court on Sept 17 had said it was disturbed by the findings in a status report filed by CBI in the case but refused to divulge details, saying any disclosure may jeopardise the investigation.