BJP leader held for child trafficking
General secretary of party’s women wing sent to 12-day CID custody
The arrest of West Bengal BJP women’s wing general secretary Juhi Chowdhury on charges of her alleged involvement in a child trafficking racket has put the party in a tight spot. The West Bengal CID has arrested Juhi Chowdhury who has been absconding during the last few days, from Kharibari area in Darjeeling district last night.
Though the BJP state leadership had claimed since the controversy had started last week that the ruling Trinamool Congress has hatched a conspiracy to malign the party, but Juhi Chowdhury has been removed from the post on Wednesday soon after her arrest by the state unit of the BJP.
The BJP state unit has also removed Rabindra Natrayan Chowdhury, Juhi's father who was the state committee member of the state unit. State BJP secretary Dilip Ghosh said they were removed from their post on disciplinary ground. Another BJP leader Rahul Sinha said that the ruling Trinamool Congress has been continuously trying to hackle the BJP state leadership. But at the same time he said that the party would conduct an inquiry into the matter.
The CID has arrested four people including one Chandana Chakraborty for running the racket last week. Chandana Chakraborty who headed a NGO ran the child care home in Jalpaiguri district in north Bengal.
According to CID sources the arrested persons sold at least 17 children to Indians and foreigners. On paper it showed that Chandana Chakraborty had given the children for adoption. During interrogation by the CID Chandana Chakraborty said that Juhi Chowdhury had reached out to Rupa Ganguly, an actress and BJP Rajya Sabha member, who is also the party’s women’s wing president and Vijayvargiya the BJP's West Bengal in-charge.
Juhi according to CID had promised Chandana Chakraborty to help running her home by using her influence in Delhi. But soon after the arrest of Chandana, Juhi Chowdhry fled to Nepal. The CID got information on Wednesday that Juhi Chowdhury had returned to Kharibari, a place close to IndoNepal border. Masquerading as sadhus, two CID sleuths raided a relative's house of Juhi Chowdhury on Tuesday evening and arrested her.
Juhi Chowdhury was produced to Jalpaiguri court on Wednesday where the magistrate has remanded her to 12 days CID custody. The political analysts said that while the state BJP has been trying to expand their activities in the state aiming the next panchyat elections, this incident would surely hamper the party's prospect.