Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh Arrested Over Alleged 'Hurried Cremation' In RG Kar Case

Former Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh was arrested in Odisha on Thursday in connection with alleged “hurried cremation of the body of the doctor, who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2024, police said.

Ghosh, a former MLA from Panihati, has been booked on charges including destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy and compelling a person to act against their will, PTI reported, citing police.

His arrest followed a fresh complaint filed by the victim’s father at Khardah police station. Ghosh and two others, identified as Dey and Mukherjee, have been named in the FIR over their alleged role in the cremation.

Family Alleges Attempt To Prevent Second Autopsy

The victim’s father has alleged that his daughter’s body was cremated with undue urgency and without the family’s consent. He claimed the process was carried out under the supervision of the three accused to prevent the possibility of a second post-mortem examination and allegedly conceal evidence.

A senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said the case registered at Khardah police station was independent of the CBI investigation into the rape and murder.

“The CBI is probing the rape and murder case at RG Kar hospital, which falls under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Police. The new FIRs lodged at Khardah police station are based on complaints by the family of the deceased that the body was cremated in a hurry without the consent of the family members to hush up evidence,” the officer told PTI.

Police are also examining the circumstances surrounding the consent documents used for the cremation. According to investigators, the signatures on the documents were allegedly those of neighbours rather than the victim’s parents or other family members.

Adhikari Ordered Separate Probe

The development comes days after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attended a memorial programme for the doctor in Panihati and directed the Barrackpore Police Commissioner to investigate the allegations surrounding the cremation.

Questions had also been raised over the alleged waiver of the cremation fee and the absence of signatures from the victim’s family on relevant documents.

“The role of Ghosh, Dey and Mukherjee in the cremation needs to be investigated. I have ordered the registration of a new case separately, apart from the court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). I have asked the Barrackpore Police Commissioner to take necessary steps in this regard,” Adhikari had said on August 8.

RG Kar Rape and Murder Case

The 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead inside a seminar room at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, 2024. The police said that the victim was raped and murdered the previous night.

Her body was later taken to a crematorium in Panihati. Police have alleged that the cremation was expedited, with the doctor’s body being moved ahead of two others that were already waiting in the queue.

The circumstances surrounding the cremation became one of several issues questioned by the victim’s family in the aftermath of the crime.

The CBI continues to investigate the rape and murder after the case was transferred from Kolkata Police. The fresh case concerning the cremation is being handled separately by the local police and focuses on allegations of evidence destruction and the circumstances in which the victim’s final rites were conducted.

One person has been convicted in connection with the rape and murder case, while proceedings in the matter remain pending before the Calcutta High Court.