Prashanta Burman, the former Rajganj block development officer accused in the abduction and murder of a Salt Lake gold trader, has moved the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta High Court order that required him to surrender within 48 hours or face action against his salary and property, according to Anandabazar – West Bengal.
The deadline set by the High Court passed at 3.30 pm on Thursday without Burman surrendering. Instead, he filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The matter may be heard next week, the report said.
A division bench of Calcutta High Court, comprising Chief Justice Rabindra V Bhug and Justice Om Narayan Rai, had directed Burman to surrender within 48 hours. The bench also ordered the state government to stop his salary immediately and prepare an inventory of his property after the deadline. The court had warned that his property could be confiscated if he did not comply.
The High Court’s direction followed a petition alleging police inaction in locating Burman. The petitioner, identified in the report as Prasun, questioned how the police had been unable to arrest him despite his being wanted in the murder case. He also alleged that Burman continued to receive his government salary while remaining unavailable to investigators.
The case concerns the death of gold trader Swapan Kamilla, whose body was recovered from a canal bank in Jatragachhi, near New Town, on October 29 last year. The prosecution allegation is that Kamilla was abducted and murdered. Burman, then the BDO of Rajganj, was named one of the principal accused.
Burman had obtained anticipatory bail from the Barasat and Bidhannagar subdivision courts. Bidhannagar Police challenged that relief before the Calcutta High Court, which cancelled the anticipatory bail and directed him to surrender. The Supreme Court also ordered him to surrender on January 23, but the report said he remained outside the police’s reach.
The Criminal Investigation Department took over the murder investigation in July. On September 10, Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty criticised the CID and the state over the failure to trace Burman despite an arrest warrant. The judge questioned how a government official could remain untraceable while the authorities continued to deal with the case.
Burman was arrested on May 25 in a separate case involving an alleged violation of road-safety rules. Police arrested him after his car allegedly hit a pedestrian in the Eco Park police station area of New Town. He was produced before a Barasat court the following day, but was granted bail after the court did not receive the documents relating to the murder case by the evening of May 26.
The report said Burman again became untraceable after that episode. The latest High Court order required the state to stop his salary and begin preparing the property inventory after the 48-hour period. The Supreme Court is expected to consider his challenge in the coming week, while the High Court has listed the matter for December 14 and warned of contempt proceedings if its directions have not been implemented.
