2 weeks ago
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh arrested over RG Kar cremation
A young doctor who worked at a big hospital in Kolkata, India, was hurt and killed in August 2024.
Many people were very sad and angry, and there were big protests asking for justice.
Her family thinks her funeral was rushed too fast, so important checks to find out the full truth could not be done.
They say some people helped make this happen, including a former state government leader named Nirmal Ghosh.
Police found him hiding in another part of India, in the state of Odisha, and arrested him.
He was brought back to face a court, and he could go to jail for up to seven years if found guilty.
Another person named in the case was also arrested around the same time.
The police are still investigating the original crime separately, and the family hopes these arrests will bring them closer to justice.
Former Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh was arrested on August 13, 2026, from Odisha over the alleged hurried cremation of the RG Kar rape-murder victim.
The FIR, filed at Khardah police station on the victim's father's complaint, names Panihati Municipality councillor Somnath Dey and neighbour Sanjib Mukherjee alongside Ghosh.
Alleged irregularities include the body being moved from third to first in the cremation queue, missing family signatures on documents, and a waived cremation fee.
Co-accused Sanjib Mukherjee was arrested late Thursday from Kolkata; reports differ on whether Somnath Dey remains absconding.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered a separate probe on August 8, 2026, while the CBI's rape-murder case, in which Sanjoy Roy was sentenced to life, continues.
- Who
- Nirmal Ghosh, former Trinamool Congress MLA and former government chief whip from Panihati, arrested; the FIR also names Somnath Dey and Sanjib Mukherjee, on a complaint by the victim's father.
- What
- Allegedly orchestrating the rushed and unauthorised cremation of the RG Kar rape-murder victim's body to conceal evidence and prevent a second post-mortem.
- Where
- Arrested in Odisha — reports cite Puri, Balasore or Sambalpur; the body was found at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and cremated at the Natagarh Kadamtala crematorium in Panihati, North 24 Parganas.
- When
- Ghosh was arrested in the early hours of Thursday, August 13, 2026; the victim's body was found on August 9, 2024.
- Why
- The family alleged the body was cremated in haste without their consent — advanced in the queue, signed by a neighbour instead of relatives, with the fee waived — to destroy evidence and block a second autopsy.
Victim's family and protesters
Accused's family and party voices
Rushed cremation
Victim's family and protesters
The victim's family and protesting doctors say the cremation was deliberately rushed without their consent, under the accused's supervision, to destroy evidence and prevent a second autopsy.
Accused's family and party voices
Nirmal Ghosh's family says he always stood by the families of the dead in Panihati, has consistently cooperated with the investigation, and plans to pursue legal action.
Delay in arrests
Victim's family and protesters
Doctor leaders Dr Aniket Mahato and Dr Asfakulla Naiya say facts were 'clear as daylight' from the beginning and question why arrests took over two years, saying the real investigation seems inordinately delayed.
Accused's family and party voices
State authorities say law will take its own course and every complaint will be probed; police say Ghosh was untraceable, changed his SIM and hid in hotels across Odisha after the FIR.
Political blame
Victim's family and protesters
BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar alleges the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government tried to shield those accused, prevented FIRs, stonewalled the probe and influenced it.
Accused's family and party voices
TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh questions why the CBI, which probed the RG Kar case, did not arrest Ghosh until now, noting that MLAs often reach out to families of the deceased.
Key facts
- Accused
- Nirmal Ghosh, former TMC MLA and former government chief whip from Panihati
- Arrest date
- August 13, 2026 (early Thursday)
- Arrest location
- Odisha — reports cite Puri, Balasore or Sambalpur
- Victim
- 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital; found dead August 9, 2024; referred to as 'Abhaya' in some reports
- Co-accused named in FIR
- Somnath Dey (Panihati Municipality councillor) and Sanjib Mukherjee (neighbour), who was arrested late Thursday; reports differ on Dey's status
- Charges
- Criminal trespass, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, disappearance of evidence, criminal conspiracy, false record by public servant (up to seven years)
- Related probes
- CBI investigating the rape and murder; Sanjoy Roy convicted and sentenced to life; case pending before the Calcutta High Court
- Note on reports
- Most articles describe Suvendu Adhikari as West Bengal's Chief Minister; one describes him as Leader of Opposition
Quotes
Senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate
Barrackpore Police Commissionerate officer
“"The one circumstance related to this case which the CBI is not probing is the hurried cremation of the victim. Documents show that the body, which was third in queue at the crematorium, was advanced to the first spot. The signatures of the parents were not taken on the relevant documents before the cremation, and even the mandatory cremation fee was waived. I am directing Barrackpore CP to start a fresh case and take appropriate action against the accused."”
theprint.in
“"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"”
news18.com
Dr Asfakulla Naiya
Leader of junior doctors’ movement
“"It’s good that fresh arrests are taking place. But we still do not have any clarity on what happened on the intervening night of August 8‑9, 2024, when that horrible crime took place. We have reasons to believe that the real investigation is being inordinately delayed."”
theprint.in
Victim’s father
Father of the slain doctor
“"The chief minister himself has named them. The cremation was conducted in a hurry by Nirmal Ghosh, Somnath Dey and Sanjib Mukherjee."”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
Ex-TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh arrested over his involvement in ‘hurried cremation’ of RG Kar victim’s body
Two Arrested Over Alleged Hasty Cremation Of RG Kar Doctor
Bengal ex-MLA Nirmal Ghosh of Trinamool arrested for ‘hurried’ cremation of RG Kar victim
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh Arrested Over Alleged ‘Hurried Cremation’ Of RG Kar Rape-Murder Victim
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh arrested In Odisha Over RG Kar Doctor’s Hurried Cremation
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh arrested in RG Kar cremation cover-up case
TMC’s Nirmal Ghosh arrested over RG Kar doctor’s hurried cremation
RG Kar case: 2 years on, TMC leader Nirmal Ghosh arrested over ‘cover-up’ role
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh arrested over 'hurried' cremation of deceased RG Kar doctor
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