Has the Bengal Trader Murder Case Taken a New Turn with Police Seizing Accused BDO's Car?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Police have seized the BDO's vehicle linked to the murder case.
- Serious allegations of kidnapping and murder against a public official.
- Investigation into a potential gold smuggling operation is ongoing.
- Family of the victim is demanding accountability and justice.
- The involvement of multiple individuals raises questions about the crime's orchestration.
Kolkata, Nov 15 (NationPress) The authorities have confiscated the vehicle belonging to Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashant Barman, who is implicated in the murder of a gold trader in the Duttabad region of Kolkata.
A senior Bengal Police official confirmed that the car, equipped with a blue beacon, was taken from the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass area of the city.
Investigators are probing if this vehicle was utilized to dispose of the body of the gold trader, Swapan Cumilla, in the New Town forest region near Kolkata.
Cooch Behar Police are set to interrogate the family members of the detained Trinamool Congress leader Sajal Sarkar.
The deceased trader’s family has accused Rajganj BDO Prashant Barman of orchestrating the homicide.
They contend that the BDO was responsible for the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the gold trader.
As part of the investigation, Bidhannagar Police have apprehended BDO's driver, Raju Dhali, BDO's close associate Tufan Thapa, and Trinamool leader Sajal Sarkar from Cooch Behar.
Despite a police complaint lodged against him, questions have been raised regarding why the BDO himself has not been taken into custody. Allegations suggest that six individuals were present at the BDO’s New Town residence on the day of the crime.
It is claimed that Swapan was brutally assaulted there, leading to his death, after which his body was discarded in the New Town forest.
Additionally, the police are looking into a potential link between the family of the arrested Trinamool leader and gold smuggling operations through the northeastern states.
The Cooch Behar district police may also question Sajal's brother and wife, while the process to remove Sajal from his position has begun.
Since Sajal Sarkar’s arrest, his grandfather and brother have reportedly gone missing.
Sajal’s daughter-in-law and Cooch Behar-II Block Panchayat Samiti President Gayatri Sarkar have also not been seen recently.
Investigators have gathered information indicating that on the day of the incident (October 28), the BDO and his associates arrived at the gold shop in the Duttabad area of Kolkata’s Salt Lake district in a car featuring a blue beacon. Following this, the gold trader was allegedly kidnapped, severely beaten, and subsequently abandoned in the forest.
On November 6, the family of the deceased businessman lodged a complaint for kidnapping and murder against Barman in Jalpaiguri district.