RG Kar case: Absconding Panihati ex-chief Somnath Dey arrested in Bengaluru
Synopsis
The last of three accused in the alleged conspiracy to hastily cremate the RG Kar rape-murder victim's body has been caught — in Bengaluru, months after going absconding. With all three now in custody, the Barrackpore court will decide whether a coordinated cover-up can be proven, and whether the hurried cremation was designed to block a second post-mortem.
Key Takeaways
Somnath Dey , former chief of Panihati Municipality , was arrested in Bengaluru on 3 September by West Bengal Police.
Dey is the third and final co-accused in the alleged hurried cremation conspiracy linked to the RG Kar rape-murder case .
He will be produced before the Barrackpore district court ; police custody will be sought.
Co-accused Nirmal Ghosh (arrested from Odisha) and Sanjeev Mukherjee (arrested from Chinar Park, Kolkata) are already in judicial custody.
Investigators allege the 9 August 2024 cremation was rushed to prevent a second post-mortem of the victim's body.
A fresh FIR was registered at Khardah Police Station on the complaint of the victim's father after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari ordered a new probe on 8 August .
West Bengal Police on Thursday, 3 September arrested Somnath Dey, the absconding former chief of Panihati Municipality in North 24 Parganas district, from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Dey is the third co-accused in the alleged conspiracy to hastily cremate the body of the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder victim in August 2024, a move that investigators suspect was intended to prevent a second post-mortem examination.
Arrest and What Happens Next
Dey is currently in the custody of a West Bengal Police team. He is to be brought to Kolkata on transit remand later on Thursday and produced before the Barrackpore district court in North 24 Parganas. The public prosecutor is expected to seek police custody in the case.
The Three Principal Accused
Investigators have named three individuals as the principal conspirators in the alleged hurried-cremation plot: former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator from Panihati, Nirmal Ghosh; Sanjeev Mukherjee, a neighbour of the victim's family in Panihati; and Dey. A fresh FIR was registered at Khardah Police Station under the Barrackpore Police Commissariat, based on a complaint filed by the victim's father. All three initially absconded after the investigation began. Ghosh was arrested first from neighbouring Odisha, followed by Mukherjee from Chinar Park, Kolkata. Both are currently in judicial custody. Dey evaded arrest the longest before being traced to Bengaluru.
Background: The Cremation Controversy
The body of the female doctor was recovered from a seminar hall inside RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, on the morning of 9 August 2024. She had reportedly been brutally raped and murdered the previous night. Allegations subsequently emerged that her body was rushed to a crematorium at Panihati and cremated in haste, allegedly in breach of standard cremation protocols. It is alleged that the entire cremation process was supervised by Ghosh, Mukherjee, and Dey.
Fresh Probe Ordered
The renewed investigation was set in motion after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a fresh probe by the Barrackpore Police Commissariat at a programme marking the second death anniversary of the victim on 8 August. Investigators suspect the hurried cremation was carried out to eliminate the possibility of a second post-mortem — a suspicion that has fuelled public outrage and sustained political pressure on the state government.
With all three accused now in custody, the focus shifts to the Barrackpore court proceedings and whether investigators can establish a coordinated conspiracy behind the cremation.
Point of View
But the harder question remains unanswered: who, if anyone, directed the three accused to act? The hurried-cremation angle has always been the most politically sensitive thread of the RG Kar case, because it implicates local TMC machinery rather than a lone perpetrator. The fact that a fresh FIR was filed only after a second death anniversary and a chief minister's announcement — more than a year after the cremation — raises legitimate questions about why investigators did not pursue this angle sooner. Whether the Barrackpore court proceedings produce a credible conspiracy chain, or settle into a narrower case against three individuals, will determine how much accountability this case ultimately delivers.
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Somnath Dey and why was he arrested?
Somnath Dey is the former chief of Panihati Municipality in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. He was arrested in Bengaluru on 3 September as the third co-accused in the alleged conspiracy to hastily cremate the body of the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder victim in August 2024, reportedly to prevent a second post-mortem.
Who are the other accused in the RG Kar hurried-cremation case?
The other two accused are Nirmal Ghosh, a former TMC legislator from Panihati, and Sanjeev Mukherjee, a neighbour of the victim's family. Ghosh was arrested from Odisha and Mukherjee from Chinar Park in Kolkata; both are in judicial custody.
What is the hurried-cremation conspiracy in the RG Kar case?
Investigators allege that after the female doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College on the night of 8 August 2024, her body was rushed to a crematorium in Panihati and cremated in breach of standard protocols. It is suspected the hasty cremation was intended to eliminate the possibility of a second post-mortem examination.
What happens to Somnath Dey now?
Dey is being brought to Kolkata on transit remand and will be produced before the Barrackpore district court in North 24 Parganas. The public prosecutor is expected to seek police custody to facilitate further interrogation.
Why was a fresh FIR registered in this case?
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a fresh probe by the Barrackpore Police Commissariat on 8 August, at an event marking the second death anniversary of the victim. A new FIR was subsequently registered at Khardah Police Station based on a fresh complaint filed by the victim's father.
