RG Kar case: CM Adhikari orders fresh probe into victim's hurried cremation
Synopsis
Two years after the RG Kar rape and murder, West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari has ordered a fresh state police probe specifically into the victim's hurried cremation — naming three individuals and raising pointed questions about why no cremation charge was collected and why no family member signed off. With the CBI probe ongoing and the Health Department launching its own inquiry, the case is entering a new, multi-front investigative phase.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari on 9 August 2025 ordered a fresh state police investigation into the hurried cremation of the RG Kar rape and murder victim .
The probe will be supervised by the Barrackpore Police Commissioner and will run parallel to the court-monitored CBI inquiry.
Three individuals — Nirmal Ghosh , Somnath Dey , and Sanjeev Mukherjee — have been named for scrutiny over their roles at the cremation ground.
Allegations include that the body was cremated without a family member's signature and without collecting any cremation charge, reportedly to prevent a repeat autopsy.
State Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee separately announced an independent Health Department inquiry, with findings to be shared with the CBI.
The victim's body was recovered on 9 August 2024 ; she was raped and murdered on the night of 8 August 2024 at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday, 9 August 2025 ordered a fresh state police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the hurried cremation of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim — two years after her body was recovered from the hospital's seminar room on 9 August 2024. The order was announced during a memorial programme at Panihati in North 24 Parganas district, the area where the cremation took place.
What the Fresh Probe Will Cover
The re-investigation will be conducted under the supervision of the Commissioner of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, under whose jurisdiction Panihati falls. Chief Minister Adhikari said the probe will run parallel to the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry, which is court-monitored.
Adhikari specifically named three individuals whose roles at the cremation ground will be scrutinised: Nirmal Ghosh, Somnath Dey, and Sanjeev Mukherjee. A new case is to be registered separately for this purpose.
Key Allegations Around the Cremation
Allegations have persisted since August 2024 that the post-mortem and inquest of the victim's body were conducted in haste, and that the cremation at the Panihati crematorium was carried out without the signature of any family member and without collecting any cremation charge. Critics alleged this was done to prevent a repeat autopsy.
The cremation was allegedly supervised by the then principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh; former Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator from Panihati, Nirmal Ghosh; and senior officials of the Kolkata Police, according to allegations raised by the victim's family and junior doctors at the time.
'There is mystery why no cremation charge was taken for cremation of the victim's body. Why was the victim's body cremated without the signature of any family member? All these will be probed again,' Adhikari said at the memorial event.
Health Department to Run Independent Inquiry
A day earlier, on Saturday, state Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee announced that the West Bengal Health Department would conduct its own separate and independent investigation into the case, given that the victim was a woman junior doctor. The department's findings will be shared with the CBI.
According to the minister, the Health Department will question individuals who visited the crime site — reportedly the seminar room within the hospital premises — both before and after the incident on the night of 8 August 2024. The deceased victim's professors are also expected to be questioned.
Background: The RG Kar Case
The body of the woman junior doctor was discovered in the seminar room of the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on the morning of 9 August 2024. Investigations subsequently established that she was raped and murdered on the night of 8 August 2024. The case triggered widespread protests by the medical community across India and has remained a politically charged flashpoint in West Bengal.
What Happens Next
The Barrackpore Police Commissioner has been directed to take necessary steps to register the fresh case. With three parallel tracks now active — the CBI's court-monitored probe, the new state police case on the cremation, and the Health Department inquiry — the handling of the RG Kar case is set to face renewed scrutiny as the second anniversary of the incident passes.
Point of View
Which signals that the Adhikari administration is using the anniversary to draw a sharp contrast with its predecessor's handling of the case. The more substantive question is whether a parallel state probe can add evidentiary value without conflicting with the court-monitored CBI investigation — or whether it risks muddying a chain of custody that courts will ultimately scrutinise. Three concurrent inquiries into the same set of facts demand careful coordination, which has not been detailed yet.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari ordered in the RG Kar case?
CM Adhikari has ordered a fresh state police investigation specifically into the hurried cremation of the RG Kar rape and murder victim at the Panihati crematorium in North 24 Parganas. The probe will be supervised by the Barrackpore Police Commissioner and will run alongside the existing court-monitored CBI inquiry.
Who are the three individuals named for investigation in the cremation case?
CM Adhikari named Nirmal Ghosh, Somnath Dey, and Sanjeev Mukherjee as persons whose roles at the cremation ground need to be investigated. Nirmal Ghosh is a former Trinamool Congress legislator from Panihati.
Why is the cremation of the RG Kar victim considered suspicious?
Allegations have persisted that the cremation was conducted without the signature of any family member and without collecting a cremation charge — steps that critics say were taken to prevent a repeat autopsy. The post-mortem and inquest were also alleged to have been hurried.
What is the West Bengal Health Department's role in the RG Kar reinvestigation?
State Health Minister Sharadwat Mukherjee announced a separate and independent Health Department inquiry into the case. The department will question those who visited the crime site before and after the incident, as well as the deceased victim's professors, and will share its findings with the CBI.
What is the current status of the RG Kar rape and murder case?
The CBI is conducting a court-monitored investigation into the rape and murder of the woman junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, which occurred on the night of 8 August 2024. A fresh state police case on the cremation and a Health Department inquiry have now been added, marking the second anniversary of the incident.
