RG Kar scam: ED gets clues of proceeds invested in Bangladesh real estate, gold business

Sources say two Bangladesh-based businessmen had been frequenting Kolkata in the recent past, interacting with Sandip Ghosh

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials investigating the case for financial irregularities in state-run RG Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata have got some initial clues of a part of the ill-gotten proceeds being invested illegally in the real estate business in neighbouring Bangladesh through the hawala route.

Sources said from the different documents seized during the investigation, the probe officials have come across the names of two Bangladesh-based businessmen having an interest in the real estate business, who had been frequenting Kolkata in the recent past and interacting with Sandip Ghosh, the former and controversial principal of RG Kar.

---

At the same time, sources added, last week the ED officials seized gold worth Rs 7 crore from the residence of a city-based businessman Swapan Saha, again a confidant of Ghosh, at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata.

Since the said businessman could not give any satisfactory information about the source of this gold or the funds used to purchase the same, the ED officials confiscated the entire consignment of yellow metal on suspicion that this consignment was smuggled to the city from Dubai via Bangladesh.

At the same time, the source added, since ED made a suo motu entry in the matter by filing an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), they have tracked the existence of several shell business entities playing key roles for Ghosh-confidant businessmen in bagging contracts for medical equipment or maintenance work-orders for RG Kar.

The ED officials, who are also looking into the angle of Ghosh’s assets disproportionate to his income, have tracked multiple properties, including a twin flat in Kolkata and a high-end resort-type bungalow in the suburbs, whose market value is a few crores of rupees.

The ED officials, sources said, are currently examining the details of the bank accounts and property-related documents of Ghosh and his family members to get further clues on this count.

Besides ED, the officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are also conducting a parallel probe into the case of financial irregularities at RG Kar.