Ex-TMC MLA arrested for 'hastily cremating' RG Kar rape-murder victim
What's the story
Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Nirmal Ghosh was arrested in Odisha on Thursday over his alleged involvement in the hasty cremation of the victim of a rape and murder case at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital two years ago. He was arrested on charges of destroying evidence, criminal conspiracy and forcing a person to carry out an act against their will, news agency PTI reported.
Investigation initiated
New case ordered in the matter
The arrest comes after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered an investigation into the cremation circumstances.
He questioned several aspects of her cremation, including the absence of family signatures on documents.
"The role of Ghosh...in the cremation needs to be investigated," he said, adding that he has ordered the registration of a new case separately, apart from the court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Official directive
Complaint lodged byvictim's father
The case was filed on the basis of a fresh complaint lodged by the victim's father on Monday.
The complainant alleged that Ghosh was one of three who forced the "hurried cremation."
Besides Ghosh, the two other accused are Panihati Municipality councilor Somnath Dey and Sanjeev Mukherjee, a neighbor of the victim's family.
In his complaint, the father claimed that her cremation was done in haste under the trio's supervision, purportedly to avoid a second autopsy and therefore conceal evidence.
MLA
Ghosh is former MLA from Panihati constituency
A senior police officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said the new case is separate from the CBI investigation.
"The CBI is probing the rape and murder case...The new FIRs...are based on complaints by the family of the deceased that the body was cremated in a hurry without [their] consent," the officer said.
Ghosh is a former MLA from the Panihati constituency, which is now represented by the victim's mother, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ratna Debnath.