Bidhannagar Commissionerate police have arrested two close associates of Jalpaiguri district’s Rajganj Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashant Barman in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Duttabad gold merchant Swapan Kamilya, who was abducted on October 28 and found dead the next day.
According to police sources, those arrested have been identified as Raju Dhali, who was Barman’s driver in Kolkata, and Tufan Thapa, a contractor from north Bengal said to be ‘close’ to the BDO.
They were produced before a court and have been sent to police custody for 12 days.
A case was registered after Kamilya’s family filed a complaint on November 4.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Bidhannagar) Aneesh Sarkar confirmed the arrests on Saturday, saying, “Two persons have been arrested. One was arrested yesterday, one today. They have been produced in court and remanded to police custody for 12 days. Further investigation is on.”
Police sources have confirmed that Barman has been named in the First Information Report (FIR) filed in the murder case. “His role is being investigated,” said an official.
The BDO, however, has denied all allegations, calling them a conspiracy earlier.
According to police sources, Dhali was detained in New Town, North 24 Parganas, on Friday night, while Thapa was picked up in north Bengal and brought to Bidhannagar. During interrogation Dhali confessed that both the arrested accused were present when the incident happened, when Kamilya’s body was allegedly taken away and dumped, they added.
According to police sources, Ashok Kar, one of the staff members at the house of the BDO, stole gold from Barman’s house and gave it to the deceased jeweller, and Kar alleged that the gold merchant melted the stolen gold. Kar further alleged that the BDO and several others took him and Kamilya to a house in AB Block, Salt Lake and beat Kamilya with “belts and sticks.” “The BDO, his driver, and a close contractor were present at the time,” he said.
Bidhannagar South police are probing the case using CCTV footage as key evidence. The victim’s body was recovered in New Town on October 29, a day after the alleged abduction. The investigation continues as authorities seek more leads in the case.