BDO Under Lens After Gold Trader’s Body Found Mutilated In Kolkata’s New Town

Police sources confirmed that multiple CCTV footage clips have been collected from various locations to trace Kamila’s movements.

A Block Development Officer (BDO) from North Bengal, Prashant Burman, has emerged as the key accused in the murder of Salt Lake-based gold trader Swapan Kamila, whose mutilated body was found dumped along a canal near Rajarhat last week.

In a major breakthrough, police have arrested Burman’s driver and another individual in connection with the case. Both are being interrogated to ascertain their exact role in the abduction and killing of the trader, even as investigators continue to track the movements of the BDO himself.

Kamila, 48, a gold merchant originally from West Midnapore, went missing from Duttabad in Salt Lake on October 28. The following morning, locals discovered his bloodied and mutilated body near the Jatragachhi canal bank in New Town — a discovery that sent shockwaves through the area and raised serious questions about the motive behind the crime.

The turning point in the investigation came when Kamila’s relative, Debashis Kamila, lodged a formal complaint naming the BDO, Prashant Burman, as a suspect. The complaint alleged that Burman played a direct role in the abduction and subsequent killing of the gold trader.

According to the family’s statement, a few days before Swapan’s disappearance, the owner of the Duttabad gold shop received a call from a man who introduced himself as BDO Prashant Burman. The caller reportedly claimed that a gold bar stolen by a domestic help had been sold at Swapan’s shop, and demanded to meet the trader for questioning.

At that time, Swapan was at his residence in Dantan, but after receiving the message, he returned to Salt Lake on October 28. That was the last day he was seen alive.

Police sources confirmed that multiple CCTV footage clips have been collected from various locations to trace Kamila’s movements. Investigators have already questioned Ashok Kar, the domestic help accused in the alleged theft, along with three eyewitnesses who may have seen the trader on the day of his disappearance. Teams from Bidhannagar South Police Station and the Bidhannagar Detective Department have also interrogated several residents in the Duttabad area and are tracking the movements of the BDO.

A senior police source said the CCTV footage serves as the “core evidence” in piecing together the chain of events that led to Kamila’s death. Police have also identified three other individuals believed to have been in contact with the BDO shortly before the incident, and they are likely to be questioned soon.

Meanwhile, BDO Prashant Burman has denied all allegations, calling them “baseless and politically motivated.” However, locals in North Bengal claim that Burman has faced accusations of misconduct in the past as well, though no concrete action has ever been taken against him.

The investigation remains ongoing, with police sources indicating that the role of the BDO and his alleged associates is now the primary focus of the probe.