Bidhannagar Police on Monday night arrested a block development officer (BDO), accused in the abduction and murder of a gold trader hailing from Duttabad on the fringes of Salt Lake last year. He was taken into custody afte he was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and got involved in a road accident in New Town.
Prashanta Burman, the suspended BDO from Rajganj in Jalpaiguri, was absconding since January after the Supreme Court declined to grant him protection in the murder case.
According to police, Burman was picked up following the accident near the Shrachi crossing in New Town at around 10.30 p.m. on May 25.
Eyewitnesses said he was allegedly driving in an intoxicated condition when his vehicle struck a pedestrian and injured a biker. The injured motorcyclist was rescued by on-duty police personnel and taken to hospital for treatment.
“Burman was arrested after he hit the pedestrian and a biker. Passersby alerted us after the accident took place,” a senior officer of the Bidhannagar Commissionerate said.
Multiple videos that have gained a lot of traction on social media platforms purportedly showed Burman behaving erratically at the spot. Witnesses claimed that when bystanders confronted him over the incident, he turned aggressive and verbally abused them.
In one of the clips, Burman can allegedly be heard calling the protesters “corrupt” and threatening to slap them. He was also seen stepping out of the vehicle unsteadily and telling police personnel to “arrest me”.
A team from the Eco Park Police Station under the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate was alerted about the situation and later arrested him.
Burman is facing serious allegations in connection with the 2025 kidnapping and murder case of Swapan Kamilla, a 45-year-old gold trader from Salt Lake. The cops had been searching for him for several months after he allegedly went into hiding following adverse court observations in the case.
Burman’s appointment as a BDO is also under scanner. Earlier, allegations surfaced that he secured the post despite allegedly submitting a blank answer script in the examination. However, his scorecard is said to have showed 162 marks against his name. The Public Service Commission reportedly sent him a notice regarding the matter, leading to multiple legal cases in the past.
Burman was taken to the Barasat Court on Tuesday afternoon by the police.