Somnath Dey, the former chairman of the Panihati municipality and a leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), was arrested on Thursday in Bengaluru. The West Bengal police charged him with hastily cremating the body of a junior doctor who was raped and murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on July 9, 2024. This incident has raised significant public concern and scrutiny regarding the handling of the case.
He will be produced before a Bengaluru court today and brought to Bengal on transit remand,” a police officer said, requesting anonymity. “Dey had been absconding since June. After the state government ordered a fresh probe into the cremation, a police team followed his trail in several cities, including Hyderabad, but Dey managed to give them the slip. In August, the Barrackpore police commissionerate arrested former TMC councillor Sanjib Mukherjee from Panihati and former TMC legislator Nirmal Ghosh from Odisha on the same charges.
Nirmal Ghosh, too, had been absconding since July 11, when his son, Tirthankar, was arrested in another criminal case.
Two Arrested in Cremation Controversy Linked to TMC Leaders
Two individuals have been arrested following an inquiry ordered by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari regarding an alleged hasty cremation. The inquiry specifically names three leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Panihati, North 24 Parganas district, as primary suspects. The family of the deceased has also implicated these leaders in their accusations.
Chief Minister Adhikari noted discrepancies in the cremation schedule. The body in question was originally listed as the third for cremation that day, but the number was altered from three to one. He emphasized that, according to regulations, relatives must pay a cremation fee and sign necessary documents, which the victim’s family reportedly did not do.
CBI Investigates Corruption at RG Kar Hospital
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently investigating allegations of corruption at RG Kar Hospital, following directives from the Calcutta High Court. While the CBI focuses on the primary crime, West Bengal Minister Sujit Adhikari has identified a separate issue for police inquiry. He pointed out the need to investigate the cremation processes occurring at the lesser-known Nataghat crematorium, located in the Ghola police station area.
