BJP removes leader Juhi Chowdhury arrested for alleged child trafficking in Bengal
The Bengal unit of the BJP on Wednesday removed Juhi Chowdhury from the position of a state secretary of its mahila morcha following her arrest in a child trafficking case. Her father Rabindranath Chowdhury was also removed from his position in the state committee, both for an indefinite period.
“We have a legal cell that will try to obtain bail for her. Let the law take its course. If she is found guilty, she should be punished. We are not saying right now that she is innocent,” BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh told the media earlier Wednesday morning.
Chowdhury‘s arrest could have political implications as investigators may go after other BJP leaders after quizzing her. The head of the NGO Bimala Sishu Griho, Chandana Chakravarty, who was arrested on February 18 reportedly told the CID that Chowdhury took her to Delhi to discuss the matter (trafficking) and she has spoken to BJP leaders such as Kailash Vijayvargiya (national general secretary) and Rupa Ganguly (Rajya Sabha MP).
Both Vijayvargiya and Ganguly have told the media that it is a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the party leaders.
CID officers are now trying to find out who are the influential people that Juhi Chowdhury contacted when she was on the run for about 10 days before her arrest Tuesday night.
The developments come against the backdrop of worsening relations between BJP and Trinamool Congress with chief minister Mamata Banerjee publicly alleging that the CBI has been used by the Centre to arrest TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Paul in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam. She also indicated that her administration can also get even with BJP leaders.
Chowdhury is the fourth person to be arrested so far in connection with the trafficking case. Bimala Sishu Griho head Chandana Chakraborty, its employee Sohini Mondal and her brother Manas Bhowmik were arrested earlier in February.
Chowdhury will be produced in Jalpaiguri court on Wednesday.
All the four have been accused of selling at least 17 children, aged between one and 14 years at high prices over the past few months under the garb of helping couples adopt children.
“We went to Juhi Chowdhury ask for help (in matters of the trafficking),” Chandana Chakravarty told the media on Tuesday
Incidentally, FIRs have already been registered with police stations in Bengal against union minister Babul Supriyo, Kailash Vijayvargiya and Dilip Ghosh.
Chowdhury is the third BJP leader to be arrested in Bengal in recent times on criminal charges.
Earlier, a Salt Lake-based doctor Dilip Ghosh was arrested for his involvement in the child trafficking case that was busted also by CID in south Bengal last year.
This year BJP state vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar was arrested for taking money from a few candidates promising them job of teachers.
Chowdhury was arrested from Kharibari area in Darjeeling district near the Indo-Nepal border.
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“We have a legal cell that will try to obtain bail for her. Let the law take its course. If she is found guilty, she should be punished. We are not saying right now that she is innocent,” BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh told the media on Wednesday before midday.
Incidentally, Chowdhury is the third BJP leader to be arrested in Bengal in recent times on criminal charges.
Earlier, a Salt Lake-based doctor Dilip Ghosh was arrested for his involvement in the child trafficking case that was busted also by CID in south Bengal last year.
This year state vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar was arrested for taking money from a few candidates promising them job of teachers.