Former Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh was arrested on Thursday in connection with allegations surrounding the hurried cremation of the body of the doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024.
Ghosh, along with two others, was named in an FIR registered at Khardah Police Station following a complaint filed by the victim’s father.
Fresh probe ordered into alleged hurried cremation
The development follows a directive by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who ordered the Barrackpore Police Commissioner to conduct a fresh investigation into the alleged hurried cremation.
Adhikari had raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the cremation, including the alleged waiver of the cremation fee and the absence of signatures from the victim’s family members on relevant documents.
He had specifically directed the authorities to investigate the alleged roles of Nirmal Ghosh, Dey and Mukherjee in the cremation.
Victim’s father alleges evidence was concealed
The victim’s father alleged that the body was cremated in undue haste under the supervision of the accused, allegedly to prevent the possibility of a second post-mortem examination and conceal evidence.
A senior Barrackpore Police Commissionerate officer said the new FIR is separate from the CBI investigation into the rape and murder case. The officer said the new case was registered following the family’s allegations that the body was cremated without their consent.
Questions raised over cremation documents
According to the police, the victim’s body was taken to a crematorium in Panihati and allegedly cremated ahead of two bodies that were already waiting in the queue.
Investigators have also questioned the signatures on the cremation consent documents, alleging that they were those of neighbours rather than the victim’s parents or other family members.
CBI continues separate investigation
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. Investigators subsequently established that she had been raped and murdered the previous night.
The CBI took over the investigation after the case was transferred from Kolkata Police. One person has been convicted in the rape-murder case, which is currently pending before the Calcutta High Court.
