Kolkata, 30 october (H.S.): In a major development in the multi-crore financial corruption case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, another accused has been granted bail. The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted conditional bail to Suman Hazra, the owner of Hazra Medical. The order was passed by a single bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh. This comes after the main accused in the case, former RG Kar principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh, was previously granted bail. Hazra was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 2, 2024, on charges of colluding with Dr. Ghosh to manipulate the procurement of medical equipment at the state-run hospital.

The High Court has imposed several strict conditions for the bail. According to the court's directives, Hazra must furnish two surety bonds of Rs 20,000 each before the lower court. Following his release, it is mandatory for him to attend all court hearings related to the trial. The court has also restricted his movement, prohibiting him from leaving the jurisdictions of Kolkata, Howrah, and Bidhannagar. Furthermore, Hazra is required to surrender his passport and provide a specific, unchangeable mobile number to the CBI investigating officer. The bench explicitly directed that the accused must not attempt to influence witnesses under any circumstances.

According to the CBI probe, Hazra was primarily involved in the business of supplying medical equipment to the hospital. Investigators allege that acting as a close associate of Dr. Ghosh, he exerted illegal influence over the institution's procurement and tender processes. The central agency claims that between 2021 and 2024, a well-organized cartel was established to rig the purchase of medical supplies and medicines, with the former principal at its helm. Hazra and another businessman, Biplab Sinha, reportedly operated as key members of this syndicate. The group allegedly bypassed competitive bidding norms, prevented other vendors from participating in the tender process, and systematically awarded lucrative contracts to their favored companies.

The investigating agency asserted that this nexus caused a massive loss to the state exchequer through the use of forged documents and the supply of medical equipment at highly inflated rates. In its chargesheet, the CBI estimated the financial loss to be approximately Rs 7 crore. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) subsequently launched a parallel investigation to examine the money laundering aspects of these financial irregularities. Both central agencies have now concluded their primary investigations into this specific matter and filed comprehensive chargesheets against the accused individuals, including Dr. Ghosh and Hazra.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh