Bengal: Two held in connection with murder of New Town gold trader, BDO under scanner

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of a gold trader in New Town area near here, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

The victim, Swapan Kamilya (45), was attached with a jewellery shop, mostly trading gold ornaments.

His body was found with injury marks in a ditch at Jatragachi in New Town on October 29, a day after he was allegedly abducted from his shop in Salt Lake's Duttabad area, the official said.

While police initially detained Raju Dhali, the driver of a block development officer of Rajganj in Jalpaiguri, and contractor Tufan Thapa, in connection with the incident, the duo was arrested following sustained interrogation.

The police are verifying claims that a car fitted with a blue beacon forcibly took Kamilya from his residence hours before his body was discovered, the official added.

Denying allegations of his involvement, BDO Prasanta Barman said he was being framed in the conspiracy as some people were ''jealous of my image and social work among the poor and needy as administrator and were also not comfortable with a member of the backward Rajbanshi community occupying such a post in society.'' Kamilya was abducted on October 28 and was allegedly beaten with a belt and rod over accusations of stealing gold ornaments before being killed.

Kamilya, a resident of Danton in Paschim Medinipur, had been trading in gold for several years, and police are also probing a past dispute with clients during Ganesh Puja.