Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) on Thursday cancelled the registration of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital's former principal Sandip Ghosh, an official said.

Ghosh, who is in CBI custody, has been removed from the list of registered medical practitioners maintained by the WBMC, he said.

His licence was cancelled under various provisions of the Bengal Medical Act of 1914, the official said.

He is an orthopaedic surgeon and without the licence, he cannot practice.

Ghosh was arrested by the CBI on September 2 for his alleged involvement in the financial irregularities at the hospital amid the protests over the rape and murder of the on-duty trainee doctor. He was later accused of evidence tampering in the rape-murder case.

Aniket Mahato, one of the leading faces of the junior doctors who have been agitating over the death of their colleague, described it as a "victory".

"This is a victory for our deceased sister. The cancellation of Ghosh's medical registration should have been done the very next day of his arrest. We are happy that the West Bengal Medical Council has finally taken this step," he said.

The West Bengal Doctors' Forum (WBDF), however, described the decision to cancel Ghosh's medical licence as an "eyewash" and an "attempt to save him".

"Registration of Sandip Ghosh has been cancelled as per rules 25 a (2) of the Bengal Medical Act 1914. As per these rules, two-thirds of the council members must vote in favour of the decision to cancel the registration of any medical practitioner. In the case of Ghosh, no such meeting was conducted. Also, at present, a quorum is not possible due to the resignation of a few members and the death of one member. So this order is legally not tenable and just an eye wash," Dr Rajiv Pandey of the WBDF told PTI.

Claiming that the registrar of the council cancelled the licence on verbal communication of WBMC president Sudipta Roy, Pandey said it "was not acceptable".

Ghosh was appointed the principal of the RG Kar Medical College in February 2021. Amid the protests, he resigned from the post.

The notice regarding the cancellation of Ghosh's registration was sent to his Beliaghata and New Town residences.

 

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Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday described the Waqf (Amendment) Bill as “anti-secular”, claiming that it would snatch the rights of Muslims.

Banerjee, speaking in the assembly, also said the Centre did not consult with states over the matter.

“The bill is anti-federal and anti-secular; it is a deliberate attempt to malign a particular section. It will snatch the rights of Muslims... The Centre did not consult with us on the Waqf Bill,” she said.

The chief minister added that “if any religion was attacked”, she would wholeheartedly condemn it.

Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging that they violate the religious rights of Muslims.

The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the Waqf boards and make them accountable.

A parliamentary committee has been constituted to scrutinise the contentious bill.