The Calcutta High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Prasanta Barman, Block Development Officer (BDO) of Rajganj in Jalpaiguri, and directed him to surrender before the concerned district court within 72 hours in connection with a case involving the abduction and murder of a gold trader.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh passed the order while hearing a petition filed by the Bidhannagar police challenging an earlier order of the Barasat court, which had granted anticipatory bail to the accused. The high court observed that, considering the gravity and seriousness of the allegations, there was no reasonable ground at this stage to grant him protection from arrest.
According to case details, Prasanta Barman has been named as an accused in a case related to the kidnapping and subsequent murder of a gold trader near Salt Lake in Kolkata a few weeks ago.
The Bidhannagar police had moved the high court alleging that the BDO had secured anticipatory bail from the lower court by submitting forged documents. The court took note of the submission and underlined the need for custodial investigation in the matter.
During the hearing, the high court emphasised that, in the interest of a fair investigation and the cause of justice, the accused must comply with the legal process and appear before the appropriate court. Accordingly, it directed Prasanta Barman to surrender before the lower court within three days, sources said.