The Calcutta High Court has directed that the investigation into the alleged irregularities surrounding the cremation of the RG Kar rape-murder victim be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the West Bengal Police.
The development comes amid allegations by the victim’s family that her body was hurriedly taken for cremation and that the circumstances surrounding the process required a deeper investigation. The issue is being examined separately from the original rape-murder investigation, which is already under the CBI’s court-monitored probe.
Probe into alleged hurried cremation
The fresh investigation was initiated after the victim’s father lodged a complaint alleging that the cremation was carried out in undue haste and without the family’s proper consent. Former Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh, former Panihati municipal chairman Somnath Dey and family neighbour Sanjib Mukherjee were named in the FIR.
West Bengal Police had subsequently arrested Ghosh and Dey in connection with the case. Police had alleged that the body was cremated at a Panihati crematorium despite other bodies being ahead in the queue and had raised questions over the signatures on the cremation documents.
The state government had ordered the fresh investigation after questions were raised over the circumstances of the cremation. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had earlier said, “The role of Ghosh, Dey and Mukherjee in the cremation needs to be investigated.” He had also questioned why no fee was charged for the cremation and why no family member had signed the relevant documents.
The victim’s parents have consistently alleged that the circumstances following their daughter’s death indicated a wider attempt to suppress evidence.
The victim’s mother recently told the High Court that local political leaders had taken control of the body and that the family had wanted a second post-mortem. “I requested him to hand over her body to us as we wanted a second post-mortem. But he did not do that,” she told the court, referring to the movement of her daughter’s body before the cremation.
She further alleged that her husband was threatened with a gun and that the family had been pressured to remain silent. These allegations are part of the ongoing court proceedings and have not been established as facts.
CBI already examining wider conspiracy
The High Court had earlier constituted a three-member CBI Special Investigation Team to examine allegations of a larger conspiracy and attempts to “hush up” the RG Kar case.
The court directed the CBI to examine the sequence of events from the night the trainee doctor had dinner with colleagues through the discovery of her body and ultimately her cremation.
The CBI subsequently submitted a report to the High Court on its investigation into the alleged conspiracy. The proceedings are being conducted in-camera, with the court scheduled to resume arguments on the matter on November 20.
The High Court had also expressed dissatisfaction with an earlier CBI report, observing that although the term “larger conspiracy” had repeatedly been mentioned, the report did not sufficiently explain the findings of the investigation.
The transfer of the separate cremation investigation to the CBI now brings the circumstances surrounding the handling and cremation of the victim’s body within the ambit of the central agency’s court-monitored investigation. The move is expected to place the allegations concerning the cremation, including the alleged haste, consent documents and actions of those involved, under a unified investigative framework.
