Supreme Court Grants Bail to Former RG Kar Principal Sandip Ghosh After Two Years in Custody

The Supreme Court has granted bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in a case involving alleged financial irregularities and manipulation of merit scores to favour undeserving candidates. The court cited his prolonged incarceration and the slow pace of the trial, noting that only seven of the 147 witnesses had been examined.

A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale set aside the Calcutta High Court’s February 23, 2026, order rejecting Ghosh’s bail plea. The top court observed that he had spent more than two years in custody while the trial had made limited progress.

“In such view of the matter, considering the period of incarceration and also the stage of the trial, we are inclined to set aside the impugned order passed by the High Court and allow this appeal,” the bench said in its order passed on Thursday.

The court granted bail subject to terms and conditions to be determined by the trial court.

The case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which named Ghosh in its charge sheet filed on August 24, 2024. He faces allegations of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery and using forged documents, along with offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The allegations centre on financial irregularities at the medical college and the alleged manipulation of merit scores to accommodate candidates who did not deserve admission or selection. These remain allegations to be established through the judicial process.

Ghosh had earlier approached the trial court for bail, but his applications were rejected on January 7, 2025. The Calcutta High Court subsequently dismissed his plea on February 23, 2026, prompting him to move the Supreme Court.

The latest ruling brings relief to Ghosh after more than two years in custody. However, the grant of bail does not amount to an acquittal or a finding that the allegations are false. The criminal proceedings will continue, with the trial court deciding the conditions of his release.