The investigation into the murder of Duttabad-based gold merchant Swapan Kamilya has picked up pace, with a forensic team visiting a house in New Town near Kolkata suspected to be the crime scene. The Bidhannagar police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the case. Authorities, including the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal police, the cybercrime, and forensic teams, visited the house in New Town to gather fresh samples, believing it to be where the crime occurred.
The body of Swapan Kamilya was found in the Jatragachi Khalpar area of New Town on October 29 last year. Two days later, his family filed a complaint alleging murder, kidnapping, and theft. According to the complaint, a group of five to six individuals arrived in two vehicles at a gold shop in Duttabad on October 28 and took Kamilya to a house in New Town.
Preliminary findings by the police indicate that Kamilya was subjected to assault. The complaint identified former Rajganj Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashant Barman as a primary suspect. While five individuals were arrested during the investigation, Barman, the alleged mastermind, has evaded authorities despite court orders to surrender. Barman, who obtained anticipatory bail from a district court, faced legal challenges from the Bidhannagar Police, leading to directives from both the Calcutta High Court and later the Supreme Court for his surrender, which he failed to comply with, resulting in his removal from the BDO post by the state government.
Barman was subsequently arrested in another case but was later released on bail. In May this year, he was arrested again for driving under the influence and hitting a pedestrian in New Town, following which he was granted bail by a Barasat court.
