Kolkata, 13 August (H.S.) : Former Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh has been arrested in connection with the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital case, prompting questions from senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh over why the CBI did not arrest him earlier.

Reacting to the development, Kunal Ghosh questioned whether the central agency had been “sitting idle” if it believed Ghosh’s alleged involvement warranted arrest.

“If Nirmal Ghosh had committed such a serious crime, the CBI could have arrested him. The CBI is under the Centre and the Union Home Ministry. Why did it not arrest him until now?” Kunal said.

He said the RG Kar incident was “extremely condemnable” and claimed that his party had consistently condemned the crime from the beginning. He also pointed out that Kolkata Police had arrested the prime accused within 24 hours of the incident.

“We had been hearing demands for a CBI investigation. The CBI came and examined all aspects of the case. It did not find grounds to arrest Nirmal Ghosh, and therefore it did not arrest him,” Kunal said.

Kunal further alleged that the investigation was now being influenced by a political narrative. He questioned whether the latest action indicated a lack of trust in the CBI’s investigation.

He, however, made it clear that he would not defend Ghosh if he was found guilty.

“I will not support Nirmal Ghosh under any circumstances. If he has committed an offence, he must be punished 100 per cent,” Kunal said.

At the same time, he questioned the movement of the investigation between the state police and the CBI. “First the case went from the police to the CBI, and now it is going back to the police. FIRs are being registered according to their convenience, and then the police are acting on them,” he alleged.

Kunal also said public representatives often intervene to help residents and families during emergencies. If such assistance later results in allegations of wrongdoing or criminal liability, he warned, elected representatives could become reluctant to help people in distress.

The arrest of Nirmal Ghosh marks another significant development in the long-running investigation into the RG Kar case.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh