Former Trinamool Leader Arrested in Connection with Doctor's Murder Case
Arrest of Nirmal Ghosh
File image of ex-Trinamool leader Nirmal Ghosh(Photo: X)
Kolkata, Aug 13: On Thursday, the West Bengal Police apprehended Nirmal Ghosh, a former legislator from the Trinamool Congress and the party's previous Chief Whip in the Assembly, in relation to the 2024 rape and murder case of a junior doctor associated with R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Ghosh previously represented the Panihati Assembly constituency in the North 24 Parganas district.
Acting on directives from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate initiated an inquiry into the 'hasty' cremation of the victim at a local crematorium in Panihati, which was allegedly conducted to prevent a second post-mortem examination.
A new complaint lodged by the victim's father at the Khardah police station earlier this week led to the registration of a fresh FIR naming Ghosh, along with Somanth Dey, a local Trinamool Congress councillor, and Sanjeev Mukherjee, a neighbor of the victim's family.
The complaint claims that the cremation took place on the night of August 9, 2024, in violation of all established protocols, under the oversight of these three individuals.
After the FIR was filed, Ghosh reportedly went into hiding and switched to a new mobile SIM card to avoid detection, according to sources from the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate.
However, on Wednesday evening, investigators received a tip-off about Ghosh's location in Puri, Odisha. A police team swiftly moved to the area and arrested him at a hotel near Puri on Thursday afternoon.
Ghosh is expected to be presented in an Odisha court before being transported back to Kolkata on a transit remand. The police plan to present him at a district court in Barrackpore on Friday, where the public prosecutor will request his custody for further questioning.
State Health Minister Dr. Sharadwat Mukherjee confirmed Ghosh's arrest, stating that it should have occurred much sooner.
Reports indicate that during the rushed cremation on August 9, 2024, the necessary fees were waived, and the body was cremated without any family member's signature, allegedly to prevent a second autopsy. Furthermore, the post-mortem and inquest were conducted in a suspiciously expedited manner.