3 min readKolkataUpdated: May 26, 2026 12:08 PM IST
Prashanta Barman, a bureaucrat who was on the run in a kidnapping and murder case, ended up in the police net last night due to drunk driving in Kolkata’s Bidhannagar, better known as Salt Lake.
Barman, an officer of the West Bengal Civil Service, is the former Block Development Officer (BDO) of Rajganj in north Bengal’s Jalpaiguri. He made national headlines last year after being named an accused in the murder of Swapan Kamilya, a prominent gold trader from Salt Lake. He was declared an absconder after he went into hiding and did not surrender to the cops.
Last night, he was driving an SUV in Salt Lake when the car hit a passerby. The pedestrian was flung into the air and crashed into a scooter, suffering a leg injury. As soon as the crash occurred, the scooterist blocked the way, and Barman failed to escape. Local residents and bystanders surrounded the car and identified him. He was detained when he refused a breathalyser test. Police later arrested him, and sources said he was found to be driving under the influence.
A video of Barman’s verbal exchange with the bystanders has gone viral. He is seen threatening them.
Prashanta Barman refused to take the breathalyser test
A gruesome murder
Barman was wanted in connection with the murder of Swapan Kamilya, a gold trader, last year. Kamilya was abducted from Salt Lake on October 29. His mutilated body was found two days later by a roadside in New Town. His family alleged that Barman and his associates were behind the abduction and killing. Five people close to Barman were subsequently arrested.
Barman secured anticipatory bail from a court in Barasat, but the Calcutta High Court cancelled the relief. The bureaucrat then appealed to the Supreme Court, but it refused him protection and asked him to surrender by January 23 this year. Barman went into hiding, and police declared him an absconder.
Following the Supreme Court’s surrender order, the West Bengal government removed Barman as the Rajganj BDO. However, in March 2026, he visited his former office in Rajganj in an official car and chatted with his former colleagues. He managed to escape before the police could be informed.
Bengal minister and BJP leader Agnimitra Paul said Prashanta Barman was on the run during the Trinamool Congress rule in Bengal. “Within 15 days of the formation of our government, he is found and is in police custody. This is the impact of the BJP government,” she said.
