Indicted in murder case, Rajganj BDO Barman sacked

Jalpaiguri: Rajganj’s Block Development Officer (BDO) Prashanta Barman, who was implicated in the abduction and murder of gold trader Swapan Kamilya, has been removed from his post and Joint BDO Sourav Kanti Mondal assumed charge as the acting BDO on Tuesday.

Sources said Barman’s removal was aimed at ensuring smooth functioning of the Rajganj block administration.

His repeated absences had stalled financial operations. Several contractors had also complained to the District Magistrate about delayed payments for completed work.A high-level administrative investigation was conducted following these complaints.

The findings were submitted to the District Magistrate and forwarded to Nabanna for review.

On the judicial front, the High Court had set aside Barman’s anticipatory bail on December 22, instructing him to surrender within 72 hours. He failed to comply, leading to a non-bailable warrant.

Barman challenged the order in the Supreme Court, which on Monday directed him to surrender at the lower court by Friday, while allowing him to apply for bail thereafter.