Former Municipality Chief Arrested in R.G. Kar Case

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 hurried cremation of the R.G. Kar rape-murder victim's body. This case has drawn considerable attention, especially following the announcement of a renewed investigation by the Chief Minister. Dey is one of three main conspirators identified in this troubling case, which has raised serious questions about the handling of the victim's remains. As the investigation unfolds, the public prosecutor is set to seek police custody for Dey, who had been evading arrest until now.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 3, 2026, 11:57 IST

Arrest of Somnath Dey in Bengaluru

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Kolkata, September 3: The West Bengal Police announced the arrest of Somnath Dey, the former chief of Panihati Municipality, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Dey is implicated as the third co-accused in the conspiracy surrounding the expedited cremation of the R.G. Kar rape-murder victim's body in August 2024.

Dey is currently in the custody of West Bengal Police officers 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 co-accused individuals, Nirmal Ghosh, a former Trinamool Congress legislator from Panihati, and Sanjeev Mukherjee, a neighbor of the victim's family, were apprehended by the police. Both are currently in judicial custody.

Dey had been evading capture after the investigation into the hurried cremation conspiracy began, which identified him along with Ghosh and Mukherjee as the main conspirators.

On August 8, during a program commemorating the second death 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 case. It is believed that the cremation at a Panihati facility was conducted to prevent a second post-mortem examination of the body.

A new FIR was subsequently 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 arrested last month in Odisha, followed by Mukherjee, who was captured in Chinar Park, Kolkata. Dey, however, remained at large until his recent arrest in Bengaluru.

The victim, a female doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, was discovered deceased in a seminar hall on the morning of August 9, 2024. Investigations revealed she had been brutally raped and murdered the previous night. Allegations arose that her body was hastily cremated at Panihati, violating all cremation protocols, with the process allegedly overseen by Ghosh, Mukherjee, and Dey.