Kolkata: Police have arrested former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Nirmal Ghosh from Odisha for his alleged involvement in the rushed cremation of the doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024. Ghosh, who previously represented the Panihati constituency, faces charges including destruction of evidence, criminal conspiracy, and forcing individuals to commit acts against their will. Authorities confirmed that Ghosh is being transported back to West Bengal by road and will likely appear before the Barrackpore court in the North 24 Parganas district.
The arrest follows a fresh complaint filed at the Khardaha police station by the victim’s father, who alleged that Ghosh and two others compelled the family into a hasty cremation. The other individuals named in the complaint are former Panihati Municipality chairman Somnath Dey and a neighbour, Sanjib Mukherjee. The family previously claimed that the rapid cremation took place under Ghosh’s direction to block any possibility of a second post-mortem examination.
The movement toward a fresh investigation gained momentum after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed the Barrackpore Police Commissioner to re-examine the circumstances surrounding the cremation. Speaking at a memorial event in Panihati, Adhikari noted that official documents indicate the victim’s body was moved from third to first in line at the crematorium. He added that the customary cremation fees were waived and that parental consent signatures were missing from key documents, reiterating the government’s commitment to delivering complete justice in the case.
Reactions to the arrest highlight ongoing frustration regarding the timeline and scope of the overall investigation. BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar stated that the current administration will ensure an unobstructed probe, contrasting it with past allegations of procedural delays. Meanwhile, representatives from the junior doctors’ movement questioned why critical details remain unresolved and expressed concern over why these specific arrests took so long to materialize. Although civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy was previously convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime, the victim’s family maintains that broader conspiratorial elements have yet to be fully addressed.
