Former principal of Indian college where doctor was raped arrested for alleged corruption

By Subrata Nag Choudhury

KOLKATA (Reuters) – Indian federal police said they have arrested the former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College for alleged corruption after investigating the brutal rape and murder of a young female doctor on the premises.

Sandip Ghosh, who resigned as principal of the British colonial-era college days after the incident became public, was arrested on Monday for financial irregularities, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said.

The CBI said it has also arrested two hospital supply vendors and a close aide of Ghosh in connection with the case.

Reuters could not immediately reach Ghosh or his lawyer.

The rape and murder case has sparked widespread protests by doctors demanding greater safety for women in the workplace and justice for the 31-year-old doctor, whose body was found more than three weeks ago.

Although stricter laws were introduced after the horrific gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012, activists say the Kolkata incident has highlighted how women in India continue to suffer from sexual violence.

A volunteer police officer, assigned to assist police personnel and their families with hospital admissions when needed, was arrested last month and charged with the crime.

(Reporting by Subrata Nag Choudhury, writing by Tanvi Mehta in New Delhi; editing by Miral Fahmy)