The dean of students’ affairs at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMC&H), Dr Sandeep Sengupta, along with his deputy Dr Sudipta Sil, resigned last night after mounting pressure from junior doctors, postgraduate trainees, and teachers.

The protest was fuelled by allegations of systemic corruption, malpractices in medical examinations, and an environment of threats, which have gripped the institution for months.

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The protests pointed directly at a culture of manipulation, spearheaded by senior doctors with close ties to Dr Sandip Ghosh, former principal of R G Kar Medical College, who is now under CBI custody on charges of financial corruption following a rape and murder on campus on 8-9 August.

Dr Ghosh’s alleged network, including figures like Dr Sengupta, was accused of tampering with exam results and threatening those who resisted.

Despite stepping down, Dr Sengupta claimed, “I resigned without accepting responsibility for the allegations. The protests forced me to take this decision.”

On the other hand, the principal of NBMC&H, Dr Indrajit Saha, has formally notified the directorate of medical education (DME), about the decision to file an FIR against Dr Shaheen Sarkar, house staff of general medicine, Soham Mondal, Intern and Dr Nilabjo Ghosh, resident medical officer (RMO) in the department of neuromedicine.

This decision follows ongoing agitation and allegations of misconduct within the institution.

Dr Saha also informed the DME that Dr Avik De, who has been implicated in fostering a culture of threats and manipulation within NBMC&H, will be barred from entering the campus, except for inquiry purposes.

An FIR will also be lodged against him following the dean’s admission of widespread threats and unauthorized interference in examination matters.

The principal has called for an urgent college council meeting on 6 September, after the previous meeting on Wednesday was disrupted due to protests.

An internal inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the allegations against the dean of students’ affairs, with the report expected within three days. Additionally, a high-level inquiry committee has been established to probe unauthorized access to exam halls and the leakage of question papers during university examinations.

It may be noted that specific incidents of corruption were brought to light during the protests. Senior doctors revealed blatant manipulations of the examination system.

One such case involved a student, Soham Mondal, whose marks in the 3rd Professional Part 2 MBBS exam for March-April 2024 were fraudulently increased from 55 and 112 to 66 and 142, respectively. This overwriting of scores was exposed after a thorough review of the tampered tabulation sheet, sparking widespread outrage.

Doctors accused Dr Avik De, a postgraduate trainee at SSKM Hospital, of playing a key role in orchestrating these manipulations. With the help of Dr Sengupta, Dr De allegedly controlled parts of the NBMC&H campus, using intimidation tactics to ensure that certain students, reportedly backed by ruling party leaders, received inflated marks.

Protesters also pointed out a culture of fear instilled by individuals like Dr Shaheen Sarkar, a house staff member in general surgery, who allegedly threatened junior doctors and faculty. The RDA (Resident Doctors Association) members reported receiving death threats from Sarkar, demanding swift and strict action.

Faced with mounting pressure, Dr Sengupta revealed the names of those involved, including Avik De and Shaheen Sarkar, admitting he had received calls from them during critical times, including while on duty in the examination hall.

The protest reached a boiling point when hundreds of junior and senior doctors confined Dr Sengupta in the principal’s office on Wednesday until late at night when he was forced to tender his resignation.

Head of medicine, Dr Dipanjan Bandyopadhyay, led the charge, urging Dr Sengupta to reveal the full extent of the corruption without fear.

RDA members also demanded the immediate removal of Dr Avik De from the West Bengal Medical Council’s Ethical and Penal Committee, citing his involvement in serious misconduct linked to R G Kar Medical College.

They insisted that no member facing criminal investigations be allowed to participate in council activities until proven innocent.

Dr Bandyopadhyay further added that he would resign from the West Bengal Medical Council if this condition was not met.

The RDA has called for the dissolution of the current students’ unit, citing corruption and manipulation in student leadership, and demanded open elections to establish a legitimate and transparent student body.