Arrest of Former Panihati Municipality Chief in R.G. Kar Case Raises Eyebrows

In a significant development, Somnath Dey, the former chief of Panihati Municipality, has been arrested in Bengaluru for his involvement in the conspiracy surrounding the rapid cremation of the R.G. Kar rape-murder victim's body. This case has drawn considerable attention, especially after the Chief Minister announced a renewed investigation into the incident. Dey's arrest follows the apprehension of two other suspects, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the victim's cremation. Stay tuned for more updates on this unfolding story.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 3, 2026, 10:28 IST

Arrest of Somnath Dey in Bengaluru

Kolkata: The West Bengal Police announced on Thursday that Somnath Dey, the former chief of Panihati Municipality and a key suspect in the conspiracy surrounding the rapid cremation of the R.G. Kar rape-murder victim's body in August 2024, has been apprehended in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Currently, Dey is in the custody of West Bengal Police officials and is expected to be transported to Kolkata on a transit remand later today. He will subsequently appear before the Barrackpore district court in North 24 Parganas.

The public prosecutor intends to request police custody for Dey in connection with the case.

Previously, two other suspects involved in the cremation conspiracy, former Trinamool Congress legislator Nirmal Ghosh and Sanjeev Mukherjee, a neighbor of the victim's family, were also arrested by the state police.

Both Ghosh and Mukherjee are currently in judicial custody. Dey had been evading capture after the police initiated an investigation into the hurried cremation and identified him along with Ghosh and Mukherjee as the main conspirators.

On August 8, during a program commemorating the second anniversary of the R.G. Kar rape and murder victim, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a renewed investigation by the Barrackpore Police into the hurried cremation incident. It is believed that the cremation at a Panihati facility was conducted to prevent a second post-mortem examination.

Following this, a new FIR was filed at Khardah Police Station under the Barrackpore Police Commissariat, naming Ghosh, Mukherjee, and Dey, based on a complaint from the victim's father.

Initially, all three suspects went into hiding. Ghosh was the first to be captured last month in Odisha, followed by Mukherjee, who was arrested from a residence in Chinar Park, Kolkata.

Dey, however, remained elusive until his recent arrest in Bengaluru.

The body of the female doctor from the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata was discovered in a seminar hall on the morning of August 9, 2024. It was later determined that she had been brutally raped and murdered the previous night. Allegations arose that her body was hastily transported to the crematorium in Panihati and cremated without following proper protocols, with Ghosh, Mukherjee, and Dey allegedly overseeing the entire process.