Whistleblower in RG Kar financial irregularities case resigns, cites vendetta

In a bold move that has sent ripples through West Bengal’s healthcare and political circles, Akhtar Ali, the outspoken former deputy superintendent of Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital and key whistleblower in the landmark financial irregularities case, tendered his resignation on Monday, 13 October.

Ali’s intervention had been pivotal in prompting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged multi-crore financial irregularities at R.G. Kar. Last year, based on his petition, the Calcutta High Court directed the CBI to investigate the matter. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of former principal Sandip Ghosh and several others, all of whom are currently in judicial custody.

At the time of his resignation, the West Bengal health department had not confirmed whether his resignation had been formally accepted. Ali was serving as deputy superintendent of Kaliyaganj State General Hospital in Malda district before stepping down.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Ali said he had been subjected to targeted harassment by the state government since exposing irregularities in R.G. Kar and the broader state healthcare system.

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“I have reached the limit of my battle against the corrupt system. I have decided to resign from my services. However, I will continue my fight against the corrupt healthcare system in the state,” he stated.

Ali’s resignation has sparked widespread speculation in political circles that he may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and potentially contest in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections next year. Reports indicate that he visited the BJP state headquarters in Kolkata last week and met the party’s state president and Lok Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, although he has not confirmed any political plans.

Ali had long been vocal about financial misconduct at R.G. Kar, even before approaching the Calcutta High Court. He had filed complaints with the State Vigilance Commission, specifically naming Sandip Ghosh as the key figure behind the irregularities. When the state government failed to take action, he decided to escalate the matter to the High Court, resulting in the ongoing CBI investigation.

The financial scandal at R.G. Kar has also been linked by some in the state’s medical fraternity to broader systemic failures, including the horrific rape and murder of a female junior doctor within hospital premises in August last year. Critics have described the irregularities as part of a larger conspiracy that contributed to a hostile and unsafe environment within the hospital.

Ali’s resignation marks a significant moment in West Bengal’s ongoing discourse on healthcare accountability and corruption, with the whistleblower signaling that his battle for reform and justice is far from over.

With IANS inputs