In a major development, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, Dr Sandip Ghosh, was on Friday detained by the Central Bureau of Investigation for questioning. He was picked up by the CBI while returning from the Calcutta High Court where he had filed a petition seeking police protection on the plea that his life was under threat.

Ghosh — currently in the eye of storm — has been identified by the agitating doctors of the RG Kar Medical College as the “fountainhead” of all evils that plague the once best medical college in eastern India”.

Ghosh has been asked under whose instructions the hospital authorities contacted the parents of the victim lady doctor — who was found raped and murdered early on Saturday morning — and told them that their daughter was seriously ill and then that she had committed suicide.

The officials have also asked him as to why no police complaint was lodged by the authorities for more than two hours of the body being discovered and why it was left on the police to come and find out things for them,” sources said adding the doctor was also asked to explain his conduct by making the parents of the victim to wait for three hours before allowing them to see their daughter’s body.

Other doctors including departmental heads of the RH Kar Hospital were being questioned by the CBI officials, sources said.

According to sources Ghosh “has not been arrested as yet … he has just been taken at the CGO complex for questioning because he had ignored an earlier summons of appearance sent to him by the CBI.”

The Agency picked him up hours after the officials on Thursday night questioned Dr Suhrita Paul the present Principal of the RGKMC. She was grilled for little more than one hour.

Earlier the doctors had petitioned the High Court seeking protection saying his life was in danger. The Court had accordingly directed the State Government to provide him protection. Ghosh was earlier sent on a leave by the Government after the Court directed it to do so.