Kolkata Police have seized a blue beacon-fitted vehicle belonging to Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashant Barman, who stands accused in the murder of gold trader Swapan Cumilla. The car was impounded along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, amid mounting suspicions that it was used to dispose of the trader&rsquo;s body in a forested area of New Town, on the outskirts of Kolkata. A senior Bengal Police officer confirmed the seizure and said the car&rsquo;s forensic examination would be key to the investigation.
The family of the deceased has pinned direct blame on Barman, alleging that the Rajganj BDO orchestrated the abduction and killing of Cumilla. &ldquo;The BDO kidnapped and killed a gold trader,&rdquo; the family said, questioning why Barman remains free despite their complaint. According to the allegations, Cumilla was brutally assaulted at the BDO&rsquo;s New Town apartment in the presence of six individuals and later dumped in the nearby forest.
Police have already arrested Barman&rsquo;s driver, Raju Dhali, along with the BDO&rsquo;s friend Tufan Thapa, and Trinamool Congress leader Sajal Sarkar from Cooch Behar. Sarkar, who was reportedly close to Barman, is also under scrutiny for suspected links to gold smuggling networks operating through the northeast. His immediate family, including a local panchayat leader, has gone missing since his arrest.
Investigators say they are now probing whether the network involved in the murder overlaps with illegal gold trafficking routes. The process to remove Sarkar from his political post has begun, while pressure is mounting on authorities to bring BDO Barman into custody.

BDO’s Car Seized in Bengal Gold Trader Murder

Police probe BDO's alleged role in killing; family demands his immediate arrest

BDO’s Car Seized in Bengal Gold Trader Murder

Police probe BDO's alleged role in killing; family demands his immediate arrest

November 15, 2025 | 17:33 IST