Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday set aside the anticipatory bail granted by a Barasat court to Rajganj BDO Prasanta Barman in the gold trader murder case in Salt Lake, and directed him to surrender within 72 hours.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, in previous hearings, questioned the decision of granting anticipatory bail by the Additional District Judge based on the prosecutor's statements, despite having the case diary readily available.
Bidhannagar City Police moved the bench of Justice Ghosh against the anticipatory bail granted by the lower court to Barman. The deceased, Swapan Kamila, a gold trader from Balasore in Odisha, went missing from Duttabad on Oct 28, and his body was found near the canal near Jatragachhi in New Town the next day. Cops arrested two close associates of Barman in connection with kidnapping and murder of Kamila.
Prashanta Barman reported to the office on Monday. He also joined an administrative meeting of Jalpaiguri district virtually.
A senior officer of Bidhannagar City Police said, "Action will be taken after examining what is stated in the copy of the order."
"If the HC's order does not provide any 72-hour protection, the BDO may be arrested immediately," an officer said.