CBI Interrogates Former Trinamool MLA in R.G. Kar Murder Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, June 18, 2026, interrogated Nirmal Ghosh, a former Trinamool Congress MLA from Panihati, in connection with the 2024 rape and murder of a 31-year-old resident doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The case has drawn significant attention due to allegations of tampering with evidence surrounding the victim's cremation.

This questioning follows a petition filed on May 13, 2026, by the victim’s mother, Ratna Debnath, who is now a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Panihati. In her plea to a Sealdah court, she sought the arrest of Mr. Ghosh, local Trinamool councillor Sanjib Mukhopadhyay, and another party member, Somnath Das. The family has accused the trio of attempting to hasten the cremation of the victim’s body to block a second autopsy, which they believe was crucial for the investigation.

The victim's mother also alleged that the cremation was carried out without the family receiving the necessary documents. On June 17, 2026, a CBI team visited the crematorium where the body was cremated as part of their ongoing probe. Expressing cautious optimism, Ms. Debnath said the agency's increased activity in the case had revived her hope for justice.

Recounting the events of August 10, 2024, Ms. Debnath stated that while the family waited at Tala police station for a second autopsy, they were informed by a neighbor that Mr. Ghosh, Mr. Das, and Mr. Mukhopadhyay had taken the victim’s body back to their home and were preparing for its cremation. She alleged that the trio, in the presence of then Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Indira Mukherjee, offered the family money, which her husband refused.

Ms. Debnath further claimed that the leaders pressured the family and took the body to the crematorium without their consent. She described a heavy police presence at both their house and the crematorium, stating that by the time they arrived, the cremation process was nearly complete, denying her a final glimpse of her daughter. She alleged that Mr. Ghosh and Mr. Mukhopadhyay remained at the crematorium until the process was over.

Calling for the immediate arrest of the three leaders, Ms. Debnath accused them of attempting to tamper with evidence. Notably, Mr. Ghosh had been questioned earlier on September 23, 2024, after a doctor involved in the victim’s autopsy alleged that one of Mr. Ghosh’s associates had falsely claimed to be the victim’s uncle and pushed for the cremation to be expedited.