The vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal Director General of Police to take necessary action against ‘absconding’ Block Development Officer Prashant Barman and ensure that the accused is brought under the course of justice.

Prashant Barman is one of the accused in the murder of gold merchant Swapan Kamila in October 2025. Kamala was missing from Duttabad on October 28, 2025, and the next day his mutilated body was found near Jatragachi in New Town.

Burman approached the Calcutta High Court last year seeking anticipatory bail in the case. The court rejected the anticipatory bail. In January, Burman filed a bail application in the Supreme Court, which rejected it and directed him to surrender. However, Prashant Barman was not arrested by the police.
On Wednesday, during the hearing of the bail application of another accused, Sajal Sarkar, in the same murder case, the vacation bench of Justice Apurba Sinha Roy ordered immediate action against the BDO.

The court ordered a departmental action against the investigating officer in the case, and directed the state DGP to submit a report on the implementation of the order to the Registrar General of the High Court within the next 10 days.

“It appears that the Investigating Officer has failed to discharge his duty in accordance with law and there is a serious dereliction of duty on his part. The Director General of Police, West Bengal, is directed to initiate immediate disciplinary proceedings against the investigating officer, namely, Saswata Banerjee. It is expected that the Director General of Police, West Bengal, shall take effective steps against the accused, namely Prasanta Barman, who is still evading arrest despite the direction of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”

Meanwhile, the court rejected the bail application of Trinamool leader Sajal Sarkar, who was arrested in the murder case.

Last month, Burman was arrested by the Bidhannagar police in a drunken drive case. He was granted bail in the case.