Days after stating his intention to surrender before the Special CBI Court, Akhtar Ali, the former Deputy Superintendent of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, did not appear as scheduled on Monday. Despite the appointed time passing without his presence, neither the CBI officers nor the lawyers saw any sign of him at the court premises. It remains uncertain whether he will surrender on Tuesday following his absence on Monday.
On Saturday, Ali had shown up at the same court a day after an arrest warrant was issued against him by a special CBI court. However, due to the court closing early that day, he was unable to surrender. Even though he had promised to surrender on Monday, Akhtar did not bring his lawyer along when he went to the court from the hospital on Saturday. He also failed to notify the court in advance of his absence.
Ali, who was the first whistleblower in a financial irregularities case at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, had been instrumental in exposing the involvement of the former principal, Sandip Ghosh, in the case. His actions led to a CBI probe as ordered by the Calcutta High Court and an additional investigation by the Enforcement Directorate into the financial discrepancies at the medical institution.
