Somanath De Arrested from Bengaluru and Sent to Jail

Somanath De, former chairman of Panihati Municipality, has been arrested from Bengaluru and sent to jail in the case of rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Police alleged that De tried to destroy crucial physical evidence in the case and helped in the hasty cremation of the body.

A First Information Report was filed at Khardah police station under Barrackpore Police Commissionerate on the complaint of the victim’s father. Following this, the police started a fresh investigation. The investigation identified former Trinamool MLA of Panihati Nirmal Ghosh, the victim’s family neighbor Sanjeev Mukherjee, and Somanath De as the three main accused in the conspiracy. Nirmal Ghosh was arrested from Odisha and Sanjeev Mukherjee from Chinar Park in Kolkata.

Somanath De was caught during a raid in Bengaluru on Wednesday morning and brought to West Bengal early Thursday. Police said interrogation and legal proceedings against De are ongoing. He is accused of trying to erase physical evidence after the crime and helping in the quick cremation of the victim’s body.

The case pertains to the discovery of the female doctor’s body on August 9, 2024, in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College. The investigation confirmed rape and murder.

The body of the deceased Vansh Kashyap reached his village Bhopa on Thursday morning, where the cremation took place. Family members and villagers demanded financial assistance, government jobs, and permanent housing. Police have arrested and sent to jail accused Rizwan, Afzal, Sahil, Altaf, and a juvenile offender. Efforts to arrest the remaining accused are ongoing.