Kolkata, 03 September (H.S.) : Police have arrested former chairman of the Panihati Municipality, Somnath Dey, in connection with allegations that the body of the woman doctor-student from RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was cremated in haste following her death.

Dey was arrested by the Khardah Police from a guesthouse in Bengaluru. He is expected to be brought to West Bengal on transit remand and produced before the Barrackpore court.

In a statement issued on Thursday morning, police said Dey is the third accused to be arrested in the case. Former Panihati MLA Nirmal Ghosh and former councillor and neighbour of the victim, Sanjib Mukhopadhyay, had been arrested earlier. Both were subsequently granted bail. However, Ghosh remains in custody in connection with another case.

The victim's father had alleged that his daughter's body was cremated in haste at a crematorium in Panihati on August 9, 2024. The family had also alleged that they wanted a second post-mortem examination to be conducted but were not allowed to do so. Based on the family's complaint, Khardah Police registered a case.

According to police sources, Dey had been absconding since the case was registered. Investigators had been searching for him and reportedly found that he had repeatedly changed his locations and mobile phone numbers. His name was also found in documents related to the crematorium, following which investigators began examining his alleged role in the incident.

On August 9, 2026, the second anniversary of the RG Kar incident, Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari attended a programme in Panihati and directed the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate to investigate what had happened at the crematorium on the day of the victim's cremation.

Following the direction, the victim's family lodged a complaint, leading to an FIR against then Panihati MLA Nirmal Ghosh, former civic chief Somnath Dey and former councillor Sanjib Mukhopadhyay.

Investigators are now examining Dey's alleged role in the hurried cremation and whether any evidence was destroyed in the process. Police are also questioning the accused to determine whether the investigation could lead to new evidence or reveal the involvement of other individuals.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh