West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday, 27 May publicly criticised a section of the state police after Prashant Barman, the former Block Development Officer (BDO) of Raiganj Block in North Dinajpur district, secured bail in an abduction-murder case — reportedly because investigating officers failed to produce the required documents before a district court in time.

How Barman Was Caught

Barman had been absconding since October last year, when he was accused in the abduction and murder of gold merchant Swapan Kamilya at Salt Lake's Dattabad in Kolkata. His arrest on Monday night was described as coincidental: while driving in a heavily intoxicated state in New Town on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, he allegedly struck a two-wheeler rider. When locals gathered after the rider blocked his path, Barman reportedly began abusing them. A bystander filmed the incident and circulated the video on social media. Personnel from Ecopark Police Station arrived, detained him, and subsequently placed him under formal arrest.

What Happened in Court

Barman was produced before a district court in North 24 Parganas on Tuesday afternoon facing two separate charges — one related to drunk driving and another linked to the abduction-murder case. Though the presiding judge reportedly waited for several hours, investigating officers were unable to furnish the necessary case documents within the stipulated period. Barman was consequently granted bail in the drunk-driving charge on a personal bond of ₹1,000. The abduction-murder charge, for which the documents were not produced, remained unaddressed at the time of his release.

Minister Ghosh's Charge of 'Clandestine Setting'

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Dilip Ghosh — the former national vice-president and former West Bengal state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — alleged deliberate complicity in Barman's prolonged evasion of arrest. 'The nature of a section of the state police has not changed. There is surely some kind of clandestine setting in this matter. I am asking the police why such persons have not been arrested for a long time. The police cannot trace them. However, often such persons are having evening tea with the cops,' Ghosh said.

Ghosh added that despite the change of government in West Bengal, the conduct of certain police personnel had remained unchanged, pointing to the document failure as evidence.

Barman's Political Links and Background

Barman is reportedly a close associate of leaders from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), the previous ruling party in West Bengal. Critics argue his prolonged absconding — and the circumstances of his eventual arrest — raise questions about whether political proximity shielded him from earlier action. This is not the first time that a politically connected accused in West Bengal has remained at large for an extended period, fuelling a recurring debate about police accountability in the state.

What Happens Next

With Barman now formally in the system on the drunk-driving charge, investigators will need to produce the pending documents related to the abduction-murder case before the appropriate court to ensure that charge proceeds. Legal observers note that the failure to present documents — regardless of cause — handed Barman a procedural advantage that could complicate the prosecution's timeline going forward.