Kolkata gold merchant murder: Forensic team searches New Town house
Synopsis
Months after gold merchant Swapan Kamilya's body was found in New Town, Kolkata, forensic teams have returned to the suspected crime scene — a house where witnesses say he was taken by five to six individuals. The key named accused, a former BDO, has reportedly defied both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court's surrender orders, yet remains out on bail.
Key Takeaways
Forensic, cybercrime, and STF teams searched a New Town house on Thursday suspected to be the crime scene in the Swapan Kamilya murder case.
Kamilya's body was recovered from Jatragachi Khalpar, New Town on 29 October last year; family filed a murder, kidnapping, and theft complaint two days later.
Complaint alleges five to six individuals abducted Kamilya from his Duttabad gold shop on 28 October .
Former Rajganj BDO Prashant Barman is the key named accused; he allegedly defied surrender orders from both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court .
Five persons have been arrested so far; Barman was most recently arrested in May in a separate drunk-driving case and later granted bail.
A forensic team on Thursday conducted a fresh search at a house in New Town, near Kolkata, that investigators believe may have been the site where gold merchant Swapan Kamilya of Duttabad was killed. The Bidhannagar Police, the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police, and cybercrime and forensic units jointly visited the premises and collected new samples, adding fresh momentum to a case that has drawn scrutiny for months.
Key Developments in the Investigation
The Bidhannagar Police had earlier constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder. Thursday's joint operation marked a significant escalation, with multiple enforcement units converging on the New Town property to gather forensic evidence. Police have indicated that preliminary findings suggest Kamilya was assaulted at the location.
The body of Swapan Kamilya was recovered from the Jatragachi Khalpar area of New Town on 29 October last year. Two days after the recovery, his family filed a complaint alleging murder, kidnapping, and theft.
What the Complaint Alleged
According to the family's complaint, five to six individuals arrived at Kamilya's gold shop in Duttabad on 28 October in two vehicles and allegedly transported him to the house in New Town. The owner of the Duttabad house, Govind Bagh, reportedly told media that Kamilya had indeed been taken to that New Town premises. A former associate, Ashok Kar, also claimed to have seen Kamilya there when he visited the house.
The Accused: A Former BDO's Legal Battles
The complaint named former Rajganj Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashant Barman as a key accused. While five persons were arrested during the course of the investigation, Barman allegedly remained at large despite court directives ordering his surrender.
After securing anticipatory bail from a district court, Barman faced legal challenges from the Bidhannagar Police. Both the Calcutta High Court and subsequently the Supreme Court directed him to surrender, but he allegedly failed to comply. His non-compliance led the state government to remove him from his post as BDO.
Barman was later arrested in a separate case but obtained bail. In May this year, he was arrested again after being accused of driving under the influence and allegedly hitting a pedestrian in New Town. He was subsequently granted bail by a court in Barasat.
What Happens Next
With fresh forensic samples now collected, investigators are expected to cross-reference findings with earlier evidence to establish the precise crime scene. The case continues to raise questions about the pace of accountability, given that the key named accused has reportedly evaded full legal reckoning for months despite directives from the country's highest court.
Point of View
A former government officer, reportedly defied surrender orders from both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, was removed from his post, and yet continues to cycle through arrests and bail. That pattern raises a pointed question about whether the institutional machinery — police, courts, and state government — is functioning in concert or at cross-purposes. Fresh forensic activity months after the body was found also suggests the initial scene examination may have been inadequate, a gap the SIT must now address credibly.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Swapan Kamilya and what happened to him?
Swapan Kamilya was a gold merchant based in Duttabad, Kolkata. His body was recovered from the Jatragachi Khalpar area of New Town on 29 October last year; his family subsequently filed a complaint alleging murder, kidnapping, and theft, claiming he was abducted from his shop by five to six individuals.
Why are forensic teams searching the New Town house now?
Police suspect the New Town house was the site where Kamilya was assaulted and killed. The Bidhannagar Police SIT, along with STF and cybercrime units, conducted a fresh search on Thursday to collect new forensic samples that could help establish the precise crime scene.
Who is Prashant Barman and why is he significant?
Prashant Barman is a former Rajganj Block Development Officer (BDO) named as the key accused in the family's complaint. He allegedly defied surrender orders from both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, leading to his removal from the BDO post by the state government.
How many people have been arrested in the case so far?
Five persons have been arrested in connection with the Swapan Kamilya murder case. Key accused Prashant Barman has faced multiple arrests in separate matters but has obtained bail each time.
What is the current status of the investigation?
The Bidhannagar Police SIT is actively investigating. Fresh forensic samples were collected from the suspected New Town crime scene on Thursday, 9 July. Findings are expected to be cross-referenced with earlier evidence as the probe continues.
