Fugitive Block Development Officer Challenges Surrender Order

Kolkata, October 8 — Prashant Barman, who was serving as the Block Development Officer of Rayganj before being suspended, has chosen to fight a Calcutta High Court order demanding his surrender in a murder case. The case involves the killing of gold trader Swapnan Kamiliya, a resident of West Midnapur.

The High Court stipulated that failure to surrender would trigger the confiscation of Barman’s assets and an immediate stoppage of his salary. Instead of complying, Barman lodged an application before the Supreme Court, seeking relief from the High Court’s directive.

The background of the case dates back to October of the previous year when Barman was named the main suspect in Kamiliya’s abduction and murder in the Duttabad area of Salt Lake. Though the Supreme Court had issued an order in January, Barman remained elusive and did not appear before the lower judiciary.

In a related matter, Barman was briefly arrested for violating traffic rules but secured bail the following day. The state’s inability to pinpoint his whereabouts led the High Court to question the CID’s investigative efforts.

This development underscores a growing tension between judicial enforcement mechanisms and the legal strategies employed by public officials facing serious criminal allegations.