RG Kar case bail: Sandip Ghosh bailed as only 7 of 147 witnesses heard
Published · Updated
The Supreme Court bailed the former RG Kar principal on 15 October in the CBI financial irregularities case, citing over two years in custody. Bail terms are not yet set, and 140 witnesses remain.
Original report
As of 18 October 2026, 20:15 IST.
On 15 October 2026, the Supreme Court granted bail to Sandip Ghosh, former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in the CBI case over alleged financial irregularities and merit-score manipulation, LiveLaw reported. The bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale cited his time in custody and the stage of the trial: only 7 of 147 listed witnesses had been examined (LiveLaw, 2026).
That leaves 140 witnesses still to be heard, after more than two years in custody. For Kolkata readers and doctors asking whether he walks out, the order answers part of it, not all.
The bail is in the CBI financial case, not a new ruling on guilt
This order is only about bail; Ghosh has not been convicted. The CBI registered the case on 24 August 2024. It accuses him of conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating and forgery under the IPC, plus offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, LiveLaw reported (LiveLaw, 2026). These remain allegations.
The Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI probe on 23 August 2024, and the CBI arrested him on 2 September 2024, The Pioneer reported (The Pioneer, 2026).
The numbers the court weighed
The Supreme Court set aside the Calcutta High Court's refusal of bail on 23 February 2026. The bench said it was "considering the period of incarceration and also the stage of the trial" (LiveLaw, 2026).
The CBI's case cites 147 witnesses and 622 documents, and the probe was reported complete in August 2026 (The Pioneer, 2026). With 7 examined by 15 October, about 1 witness in 21 has been heard. The arithmetic: 7 divided by 147 is under 5%.
Bail terms are still to be set
The Supreme Court left the conditions to the trial court, LiveLaw reported, so the terms are not public yet. The reports we read do not say whether he has left jail.
In a separate case from August 2024, he was granted bail on 13 December 2024, The Pioneer reported (The Pioneer, 2026). Neither report names any other case that keeps him in custody.
The ruling lands in a week of other news from the city, including the Kolkata pandal stampede: Section 163 covers Bowbazar until 20 October.
What we don't know yet
- Whether Sandip Ghosh has been released.
- The bail conditions the trial court will set.
- The next trial date in the CBI case.
Questions people are asking
Why did the Supreme Court grant Sandip Ghosh bail?
The bench cited more than two years in custody and the stage of the trial, with 7 of 147 witnesses examined (LiveLaw, 2026).
Which RG Kar case is the bail in?
The CBI case registered on 24 August 2024 over alleged financial irregularities and merit-score manipulation (LiveLaw, 2026).
Is Sandip Ghosh out of jail?
Not known yet. The trial court sets the bail terms (LiveLaw, 2026).
What happens next
The trial court will fix the bail conditions and the trial continues; no date has been reported.
References
- LiveLaw (2026) Supreme Court Grants Bail To Former RG Kar College Principal Sandip Ghosh In CBI Case. LiveLaw. Available at: Supreme Court Grants Bail To Former RG Kar College Principal Sandip Ghosh In CBI Case (Accessed: 18 October 2026).
- The Pioneer (2026) SC notice to CBI on Sandip Ghosh bail in R G Kar case. The Pioneer. Available at: SC notice to CBI on Sandip Ghosh bail in R G Kar case (Accessed: 18 October 2026).
How we did this
We read the LiveLaw report of the 15 October order and The Pioneer's report on the CBI case, and built the case timeline from dates in both. The witness share (7 of 147) is our arithmetic on LiveLaw's figures. We did not name or describe the victim of the separate 2024 case.
This story was produced, reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication, with AI assistance where required.
Covered by 6 outlets across the spectrum: 33% left, 17% center, 50% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (2): The New Indian Express, Daily Pioneer
- Center (1): Livelaw
- Right-leaning (2): India Today, Times Now
Sources
- Supreme Court grants Sandip Ghosh bail after over two years in custody — India Today (right-leaning) ·
- SC Grants Bail To Ex-RG Kar Principal In Financial Fraud Case — Times Now (right-leaning) ·
- SC grants bail to ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh, cites slow trial and two years in custody — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- SC notice to CBI on Sandip Ghosh bail in R G Kar case — Daily Pioneer (left-leaning) ·
- Supreme Court Grants Bail To Former RG Kar College Principal Sandip Ghosh In CBI Case — Livelaw (center) ·
- Supreme Court grants anticipatory bail in Rs 1.3 crore cheating case — India Today (right-leaning) ·