Ex-RG Kar Principal arrested for falsely accusing doctor of fake degree, wrongful imprisonment uncovered

Sandeep Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, was arrested after being accused of falsely accusing a doctor of possessing a fake MBBS degree, leading to wrongful imprisonment. Ghosh, along with former Tala police station OC Abhijit Mondal, is facing legal charges in connection with the case, which revolves around an incident that took place in 2022.

The incident began when Rajeev Ranjan, a doctor from Bihar, attended the postgraduate counseling for private medical colleges at RG Kar on November 23, 2022. Ranjan, who had secured a NEET-PG rank of 29,137, had completed his MBBS at a government medical college in Bihar. However, during the counseling, Sandeep Ghosh and Bulbul Mukhopadhyay, then the Dean of Students at RG Kar, claimed that Ranjan’s MBBS degree was fake, despite no evidence to support this accusation.

Ranjan sought help from a senior doctor, Rahul Krishna, who had graduated from NRS Medical College in Kolkata. Krishna confirmed the authenticity of Ranjan’s degree and asked RG Kar authorities to verify the documents. Despite Krishna's intervention, Ghosh continued to assert that Ranjan’s degree was fraudulent. On the basis of Ghosh's claims, Ranjan was arrested by the Tala police. Rahul Krishna, who had tried to clear the situation, was also arrested, and both were taken into police custody.

Ranjan and Krishna were detained for nine days, during which Ranjan's MBBS degree was seized by the police. Throughout the ordeal, Ranjan maintained his innocence and sought to clear his name. The case, which involved serious allegations of fake documentation, continued for more than two years. As a result of the wrongful detention, Ranjan was unable to continue his studies or pursue a career in medicine.

After a prolonged legal battle, the Shyambazar court ruled in favor of Ranjan and Krishna, declaring both of them innocent. The court confirmed that Ranjan's MBBS degree was legitimate and that the allegations against him were unfounded. The court also found that the Tala police had failed to produce any evidence supporting Ghosh’s claim. Following the court's verdict, Ranjan was allowed to retrieve his MBBS degree, which had been previously seized during the investigation.

The case has drawn attention to the medical counseling process in West Bengal, particularly at RG Kar. Allegations of corruption in the counseling system and seat allocation in private medical colleges have been raised, with some experts questioning the role of Ghosh and other officials in influencing the decisions. The wrongful accusations made against Ranjan highlight potential flaws in the verification process during medical college admissions and the ease with which false claims can have severe consequences.

As a result of this case, calls have emerged for a review of the verification procedures used during medical counseling and the need for better transparency in the allocation of seats in medical colleges. Legal experts and medical organizations have stressed the importance of safeguarding against wrongful accusations and ensuring that proper checks are in place to protect the integrity of the medical education system.