Nirmal Ghosh Arrested: Ex-TMC MLA Held Over Alleged Hasty Cremation of Doctor in RG Kar Case

Former Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh was arrested on Thursday in connection with allegations surrounding the hurried cremation of the 31-year-old doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024. Ghosh and two others were named in a fresh FIR registered at Khardah police station following a complaint by the victim's father, TOI reported.

Fresh Probe Into Cremation

The new case follows an order for a separate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the cremation. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed the Barrackpore Police Commissioner to initiate the probe after attending a memorial programme for the victim in Panihati on Sunday. RG Kar Rape-Murder Case: CM Suvendu Adhikari Orders Fresh Probe, Slams Police for Investigation Failure.

Adhikari had raised questions about the cremation process, including an alleged waiver of the cremation fee and the absence of signatures from the victim's family on relevant documents.

Family Alleges Evidence Was Suppressed

The victim's father has alleged that the cremation was conducted with undue haste under the supervision of Ghosh and the two other accused, Somnath Dey and Sanjeev Mukherjee. According to the complaint, the hurried cremation may have prevented the possibility of a second autopsy and helped conceal evidence. Police said the new FIR was registered separately from the Central Bureau of Investigation's probe into the rape and murder. RG Kar Hospital Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Court Verdict Today, Victim’s Parents Accuse CBI of Being ‘Deliberately Inactive’.

Questions Over Cremation Documents

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.

Her body was later taken to a crematorium in Panihati. According to the police account cited by the report, the cremation allegedly took place ahead of two bodies that were already waiting in the queue.

Investigators have also questioned the signatures appearing on the cremation consent documents, saying they were allegedly those of neighbours rather than the victim's parents or other family members.

Separate From Main RG Kar Investigation

The latest FIR is separate from the court-monitored CBI investigation into the rape and murder itself. A senior Barrackpore Police Commissionerate officer said the new case was based on the victim's family's allegations concerning the handling of the body and the cremation.

The CBI took over the original investigation after the case was transferred from Kolkata Police. One person has already been convicted in the rape-murder case, while the matter is currently pending before the Calcutta High Court.

Investigation Now Underway

Ghosh's arrest marks a new development in the long-running RG Kar case, with investigators now examining whether established procedures were followed during the cremation and whether any evidence was compromised.

The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny. The fresh probe is expected to examine the roles of all three people named in the FIR as well as the documentation and circumstances surrounding the cremation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2026 02:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).