Who is Pamela Goswami? BJP youth leader arrested with cocaine in Kolkata

Two leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) youth wing were arrested on Friday with 100 grams of cocaine from south Kolkata's upscale New Alipore area, police said. Among them were Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Pamela Goswami and Prabir Kumar Dey. 

Another person Somnath Chatterjee, 26, was also held in connection with the seizure of about 90 grams of narcotic substance in Kolkata, reports said. 

Who is Pamela Goswami?

Goswami is the state secretary of the BJYM, who actively posts updates on social media and shares pictures of party events being held across the state. 

She was along with her friend Dey in her car on Friday when both of them were nabbed, police said, adding that around 100 gm of cocaine "worth a few lakh of rupees" was found in her handbag and other parts of the car. 

The police claimed that the two had been purchasing drugs from a peddler in the New Alipore area and they had prior information about their visit on Friday following which they were intercepted at the spot. Women police personnel were also deployed to carry out the search and arrest.

"She was involved in drug trafficking for quite some time. Today, we got information that she, along with her supplier Prabir, was reaching the spot to hand over the drugs to the purchasers," a police officer told news agency PTI on Friday. 

A team of policemen in eight vehicles surrounded Goswami's car and apprehended her, the officer said. The BJP youth wing leader's security guard, who was inside the same vehicle, was also arrested, the officer added.

Samik Bhattacharya, the BJP’s state spokesperson, however, said that Goswami may have been framed. “I have heard about it but we are yet to gather details. If she has really done something illegal, then the law will take its own course. But it could also be planted. The elections are near, and the model code of conduct is yet to be enforced. The police are now under the control of the chief minister. We also need to keep these in mind,” he said.