Ex-TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh Arrested Over Alleged Hurried Cremation in RG Kar Case

Kolkata: Former Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh was arrested on Thursday in connection with the alleged hurried cremation of the body of the junior doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024.

Ghosh, the former legislator from Panihati, was taken into custody from Odisha. He has been named in a fresh First Information Report (FIR) registered at Khardah police station along with two others -- Panihati municipal councillor Somnath Dey and local resident Sanjeev Mukherjee -- following a complaint by the victim’s father, according to reports.

The complaint alleges that the cremation was carried out in undue haste under the supervision of the three accused, with the intention of preventing a possible second autopsy and concealing evidence. The family has claimed that the body was taken to the Panihati crematorium without their proper consent, that necessary documents and signatures from family members were not obtained, and that the process overtook other bodies already waiting in the queue.

Police sources said Ghosh faces charges including destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and related provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The new case is being handled by the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate and is separate from the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the rape and murder itself.

The development follows directions issued by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on August 8. While attending a memorial programme marking the second anniversary of the doctor’s death in Panihati, Adhikari instructed the Barrackpore Police Commissioner to register a fresh case and investigate the circumstances of the cremation, including questions over the absence of family signatures and the waiver of cremation fees.

The 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found dead in a seminar room at the state-run hospital on August 9, 2024. Investigators later established that she had been raped and murdered the previous night. The incident triggered widespread protests across the country demanding justice and improved safety for doctors.

Further investigation and interrogation of the accused are underway.