Asansol, July 10: An officer-in-charge of the state excise department was arrested last night from his house for alleged conspiracy against his superior and attempt to murder.

Kaushal Kishore Jha was picked up from his Shimulgram residence in Kulti, about 200 km from Calcutta.

B.N. Ramesh, the Burdwan superintendent of police, said here this morning a special investigation team, headed by additional superintendent Supratim Sarkar, has been formed to unravel the conspiracy. On the evening of July 2, Mohammad Shabir, a driver, was shot at from close range near the excise office here.

Police sources said the shooters, who were on a two-wheeler, were hired by Jha to kill Barun Roy, the deputy excise collector of Durgapur, whose car Shabir drove.

The miscreants took away a briefcase Shabir was carrying. It was Roy’s and had important official documents. Shabir was on his way to Roy’s office to hand over the briefcase that he had left in the car. Police said Roy was investigating several cases of corruption against Jha.