Kolkata, Dec 2 (IANS) Bidhannagar Police on Tuesday moved the Calcutta High Court, challenging the anticipatory bail granted to Rajganj Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashant Barman, who is accused of murdering a gold trader in the Duttabad area.

In its petition, officers of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate have opposed the bail, claiming that the BDO submitted “forged” documents to get the anticipatory bail in the murder case.

The petition has been filed challenging the Barasat Court order, which had granted anticipatory bail to Prashant Barman on November 26. It was learnt that the petition has been admitted in the High Court and the matter could be taken up for hearing later this week.

According to police sources, the lawyer of the BDO told Barasat Court that Prashant Barman was not at his residence in New Town on the day of the incident.

The lawyer said the BDO was in a guest house, and its receipt was submitted to the court in his bail application.

However, the police claimed that the receipt is fake.

The police also claimed that the gold trader was taken to BDO’s New Town residence, and he was present there on the day of the incident. Therefore, the BDO has not been truthful to the court.

On November 29, the Anticipatory bail became effective for Prashant Barman after he appeared in the Bidhannagar Sub-divisional Court. His bail was granted on a bond of Rs 50,000.

On November 26, the Barasat Court granted him anticipatory bail. However, the bail became effective after he appeared in person at the Bidhannagar Court. His bail was implemented there. According to court sources, he has been asked to help in the investigation process.

The family of the deceased gold trader raised questions about the police investigation after the bail was granted. They claimed that they had filed a complaint against BDO Prashant Barman.

Although BDO’s close associates were arrested one after another, BDO was not arrested. On the contrary, the gold trader’s family is questioning how he got anticipatory bail when a formal complaint was lodged against him.

On October 28, gold trader Swapan Kamilya was abducted from a gold shop in the Duttabad area in Kolkata.

Later, while filing a missing person’s diary at Bidhannagar South Police Station, Kamilya’s family members came to know that a person’s body was found in the Jatragachi area of New Town. They identified the body after seeing Swapan’s picture.

After this, a case was registered against the assailants under the kidnapping and murder sections.

The family of the deceased gold trader alleged that Rajganj BDO Prashant Barman masterminded the crime and was involved in it.

The family alleged that the BDO kidnapped and killed the gold trader.

During the investigation of this incident, the Bidhannagar Police arrested five people in connection with the incident, including BDO’s driver Raju Dhali, BDO’s close friend Tufan Thapa, Cooch Behar Trinamool leader Sajal Sarkar and his brother Vivekananda Sarkar.

–IANS

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