“My name is Sandip Ghosh, but I am not the principal…”: Namesakes Swamp the Internet, Distancing themselves from the RG Kar ‘Disgrace’

“I’m just a simple Sandip Ghosh who enjoys cooking…”quipped a bewildered eighteen-year-old Sandip Ghosh. Many like him, sharing the same name Sandip Ghosh have now found themselves caught in a social media storm following the RG Kar incident and the subsequent arrest of former principal Sandip Ghosh. In a peculiar twist of fate the name Sandip Ghosh has now plunged into a social burden.

“When I got to know, I decided to put out a post, distancing myself from the entire fiasco. I am just a simple Sandip Ghosh who enjoys cooking, not a principal accused of tampering with evidence! My parents also adviced me to do the same” said Sandip Ghosh, a resident of Burdwan who is preparing for his upcoming Higher Secondary examination. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that my name would land me in trouble,” he added with a smirk on his face.

Soon after the barbaric incident came to light “Sandip Ghosh” quickly became one of the most searched names online, often leading people to incorrect Facebook profiles. As a result, those who share the same name faced significant social media backlash and abuses. To mitigate this or to simply distance them from the controversy, namesakes of Sandip Ghosh took to social media to clarify their identities, updating their bios and posting statuses to clarify that they were “not the principal.”

Just like many others sharing the name, another doctor named Sandip Ghosh faced unwanted social media trolling after being mistaken for the former principal of RG Kar Medical College. This misunderstanding led to a barrage of rude comments on his Facebook photos. To clarify, he felt compelled to update his bio with a “not the principal” disclaimer. “The day the incident came to light, I changed my display picture to one that expressed solidarity with the doctors' protest movement, which led many to confuse me with the former principal. This unleashed an avalanche of online trolling and unsolicited comments on my pictures,” said Sandip Ghosh, a junior resident in Gynecology and Obstetrics at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital.

Despite changing his display picture to one of himself holding a spine during a junior doctors protest march to the police headquarters in Lalbazar, meme pages continued to use his images without permission, damaging his reputation. “I am ashamed of what he did, but just because we share the same name doesn’t mean we have anything remotely in common,” he added. Coincidentally, during his MBBS journey starting in 2017, Ghosh had briefly crossed paths with the former principal, who was the head of the Orthopedics department before being transferred soon after.

The brutal rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College sent shockwaves across the city, state, and nation, sparking widespread protests calling for justice and accountability for the victim. Many raised concerns about the former principal's alleged involvement, arguing that he had not done enough and might have tampered with evidence. Although Ghosh initially resigned, he was reinstated within a few hours. This move triggered student protests, resulting in the Calcutta High Court directing him to take an extended leave.

“I woke up to my phone buzzing with messages questioning my morality and intent,” said 24 year old Sandip Ghosh who suddenly noticed a host of Facebook users inundating his profile with unsolicited comments, mistaking him for the former RG Kar MCH principal. “It took me a moment to register what was happening, but once the fog lifted, I had to clarify on social media to save myself from the outrage! I’m just a content creator—they thought I was a doctor and the former principal of RG Kar Medical College! My name is Sandip Ghosh, but I am not the principal” he chuckled, relieved to be cooking up content instead of controversy. When prodded if he made any content on himself, he simply laughed out loud.

As investigations unfolded, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was summoned by the CBI a case in connection with alleged financial irregularities at the institution. After 15 days of questioning, he was arrested on September 2 in a case pertaining to the financial misconduct allegations. Ghosh was arrested a second time by the CBI on September 14, this time in relation to the murder case. He faces accusations of evidence tampering, alongside Abhijit Mondal, the officer in charge of Tala Police Station. In light of these controversies, the West Bengal Medical Council has revoked Dr. Ghosh’s license. In addition, students of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have raised allegations of neglect and apathy against the former doctor.

"Reflecting on it, there’s a certain irony to the situation. My friends began teasing me as soon as the Sandip Ghosh controversy broke, and people in my neighborhood joined in on the jokes. It’s truly appalling and shameful what the former principal did. To distance myself from his actions, if not his name, I decided to adopt the ‘not the principal’ tag on Facebook as a form of protest," shared another Sandip Ghosh, a businessman. He wanted to make it abundantly evident that he in no way is related to the former principal by editing his bio. “It is fascinating to observe how a name can shape public perception, turning an ordinary moniker into a symbol of shame. In this instance, what was once a common name is now laden with implications that many want to disassociate from entirely,” added the businessman.