Kolkata, 26 May (H.S.): Suspended BDO Prashant Barman of Rajganj in North Bengal was arrested by police from Kolkata’s New Town area after allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol and hitting a pedestrian. The incident took place on Monday night under the jurisdiction of the Eco Park Police Station. He is currently being held at the police station.

According to police sources, Prashant Barman was allegedly driving in an intoxicated condition when his vehicle hit a pedestrian. The impact reportedly threw the victim onto a scooter rider standing nearby. The pedestrian sustained injuries to his leg in the incident.

Following the accident, the scooter rider allegedly stopped Barman’s vehicle, leading to a commotion at the spot for quite some time. A video of the incident has also gone viral on X, in which Barman can allegedly be heard issuing threats. However, the authenticity of the video has not yet been officially verified. Police later arrived at the scene and detained him.

Notably, Prashant Barman had earlier been accused in the murder case of gold trader Swapan Kamilya from Duttabad in Salt Lake. On October 29 last year, Kamilya’s body was recovered from beside a canal in the Jatragachhi area of New Town. Investigators alleged that he had been abducted and murdered.

In the murder case, Barman had initially secured anticipatory bail from the Barasat and Bidhannagar sub-divisional courts. Later, Bidhannagar Police challenged the bail before the Calcutta High Court, which cancelled the anticipatory bail and directed him to surrender by December 22.

After he allegedly failed to comply with the order, a Bidhannagar court issued an arrest warrant against him. Barman later approached the Supreme Court of India, which directed him to surrender by January 23. Since then, he had reportedly been absconding.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey