Two people have been arrested in connection with the abduction and murder of a gold trader from West Midnapore, whose body was recovered last month from the New Town area near Kolkata.
According to police sources, the investigation has revealed that Rajganj Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashant Barman, against whom the victim&rsquo;s family lodged a complaint, was &ldquo;closely involved&rdquo; in the incident.
The two arrested individuals, identified as Raju Dhali, the BDO&rsquo;s driver, and Tufan Thapa, his associate, have allegedly confessed to the murder during questioning. 
Investigators said the accused also claimed that four more people were present at the scene on the day of the crime.
However, the BDO has denied&nbsp; all allegations.
Police sources said that on the day of the incident, the duo arrived at the victim&rsquo;s gold shop in Duttabad in a car fitted with a blue beacon. 
The gold trader, Swapan Kamilya, was reportedly beaten with a belt and a stick until he lost consciousness.
His body was later placed in the car and dumped on the banks of a canal near Jatragachi in New Town.
Investigators also revealed that the BDO allegedly left the city the next day, with his driver Dhali reportedly dropping him off at Kolkata&rsquo;s Dum Dum Airport in the same vehicle used in the crime.
Police are now tracing the remaining suspects and verifying the sequence of events to determine the extent of official involvement.
&mdash;IANS

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November 10, 2025 | 17:03 IST