Kolkata (West bengal) [India], August 13 (ANI): West Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul on Thursday welcomed the arrest of ex-TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh in connection with the RG Kar case and demanded the arrest of another person, Somnath, whom she described as his “right-hand man”.
Ghosh was arrested in connection with the alleged destruction of evidence in the 2024 RG Kar rape-murder case.
Reacting to Ghosh’s arrest, Paul said Somnath was present on the day of the incident and allegedly prevented Abhaya’s mother from speaking.
She further alleged that he oversaw the arrangements and took the body to his house while the victim’s parents were outside the police station and unaware of its whereabouts.
Speaking to reporters, she said, “I am very happy because that night we were with the Abhaya family. Another person should be arrested along with Nirmal Ghosh, and his name is Somnath. He was there that day. He wasn’t letting Abhaya’s mother speak. He was overseeing the entire arrangement. Taking the body straight to his house, while his parents were standing outside the police station and didn’t even know where the body had gone, Somnath took the body and went home. If Nirmal Ghosh has been arrested, then Somnath should be too; he is his right-hand man.”
On the reported death of a nurse at NRS Medical College, Paul said she had recently received information about the incident and described it as “very heartbreaking”.
She said the government would investigate the matter and punish those found responsible.
“I have just received information about this incident. This incident is very heartbreaking. I can say that our government doesn’t deal under the table. Whoever has shed blood, the case will be investigated, and they will receive punishment as well. It won’t be like Abhaya’s case, where they suppress the case for their agenda and perform the last rites, with the postmortem happening after 6 PM. Everything that was illegal, all of that was done by Mamata Banerjee and her government. Our government will not allow this,” he added.
The case pertains to a 30-year-old female nurse who was found unconscious inside a washroom at NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata during her night shift and was later declared dead, police said on Thursday.
The incident was reported Wednesday night after Entally Police Station received information from the NRS Out Post regarding the death of a female nurse in the High Dependency Unit (HDU), Room No. 33 of the hospital.
Following the information, the DD Homicide team, along with personnel from the local police station, rushed to NRS Medical College and Hospital, where they found the nurse lying unconscious on a bed.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Rahul Sinha said Nirmal Ghosh should have been arrested earlier and alleged that he had concealed facts in the case.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “Nirmal Ghosh should have been arrested much earlier. He had hidden all things under Mamata Banerjee’s instructions. Let this investigation proceed. Mamata Banerjee is behind all these things. After that, Mamata Banerjee should be taken into custody.”
On the other hand, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh said the party would not defend Nirmal Ghosh, adding that the law would take its own course. He questioned the timing of the arrest and asked why the CBI did not act earlier despite handling the investigation.
He said, “We will not defend Nirmal Ghosh, who has been arrested. The law will take its own course. But there is one point: what was the CBI doing? The inquiry was already with the CBI. Didn’t the CBI investigate this crime? The case was monitored by three courts, the Trial Court, High Court, and Supreme Court. All the parties made their allegations there, yet he was not arrested. So we have to see whether this arrest was made in the interest of the investigation or to establish a narrative.”
The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder case dates back to August 9, 2024, when the body of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor was found inside a seminar room on the hospital campus. The incident sparked nationwide protests by doctors, medical students and civil society groups, who demanded a transparent investigation and stronger safety measures for healthcare professionals.
The incident triggered nationwide protests by doctors, medical students and civil society groups, who demanded a transparent investigation into the case and stronger safety measures for healthcare professionals. The victim came to be referred to as “Abhaya” during the protests and subsequent proceedings. (ANI)
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