Kolkata: The Bidhannagar police commissionerate arrested two suspects on Saturday for the abduction and murder of a jewellery shop owner whose body was found in the New Town area near Kolkata on October 29, police said.
Tufan Thapa, a civil works contractor from Jalpaiguri district, and Raju Dhali, a car driver residing in New Town, were arrested and produced before a Bidhannagar court.
Rahul Kanojia, the lawyer who represented Thapa and Dhali in court, told the media that police made the arrests on the basis of security camera footage and statements given by eyewitnesses.
“The court remanded both in police custody for 12 days,” Kanojia said.
The body of 45-year-old Swapan Kamilya, a resident of West Midnapore district’s Danton, was found in a desolate area of New Town. The Bidhannagar police started an investigation on the basis of a complaint the deceased’s brother-in-law lodged on October 31.
The family charged Prasanta Burman, the community block development officer (BDO) from Jalpaiguri district’s Rajganj, with abduction and murder.
The complaint letter, a copy of which was seen by HT, accused Burman of assaulting and abducting Kamilya on October 28 from Salt Lake with the help of some associates. The letter said two cars fitted with blue beacons were used in the alleged crime.
Burman told the media in Jalpaiguri on Friday that the charges were fabricated.
Kamilya used to run a small jewellery business from a rented shop at Salt Lake. Gobinda Bag, the shop’s owner, has told the police and the media that he, too, was abducted but was let off.
Bag said that Burman accused Kamilya of purchasing some jewellery that was stolen from his home in the Salt Lake – New Town area.
Burman said on Friday that he neither owns a property in the Salt Lake-New Town area nor was any gold stolen from him. He said he did not travel to Kolkata on October 28.
Burman avoided the media after Saturday’s arrests. His residence at Matigara in Siliguri was found locked.
