In an ironic turn, RG Kar’s self-proclaimed corruption crusader Akhtar Ali stares down CBI charges in the hospital’s multimillion financial racket. The federal probe agency secured court nod Tuesday to frame charges on February 25, alongside Shashikant Chandak.
Alipore CBI Court ordered Ali’s appearance, capping a saga sparked during national fury over a trainee doctor’s rape-killing. Ali’s complaint against Principal Sandeep Ghosh triggered parallel CBI-ED investigations, netting arrests but flipping the script on Ali.
Found neck-deep in the scam per evidence, Ali evaded summonses, filed for anticipatory bail on health grounds (denied), and surrendered into custody remanded till February 17. Back in court sans bail request, the charge-framing greenlight came amid hints of protracted probes via supplementary chargesheet.
Forensic reports hold the key to expansions. This whistleblower’s woes spotlight perils in corruption exposés, especially in scandal-plagued institutions like RG Kar.
The case reverberates beyond courts, questioning whistleblower credibility and probe impartiality. With political crossfire and public distrust rife, February 25 could pivot the narrative—from victimhood to villainy for Ali—while forensic clarity might drag more into the net. India’s fight against healthcare graft marches on, fraught and unforgiving.