Days after the arrest of a government official in a child trafficking case in North Bengal, another official has been arrested by the State’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday.
According to the CID, the suspended District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) of Jalpaiguri was arrested after prolonged interrogation at Darjeeling’s Pintel village. Seven persons have been arrested in the case so far.
“Today the CID arrested Sasmita Ghosh, DCPO, Jalpaiguri (under suspension) for her role in the child trafficking case,” Nishat Parvez, DIG CID (operations) told The Hindu .
Ms. Ghosh was suspended recently after she failed to provide a satisfactory answer to the show-cause notice issued last month by District Magistrate of Jalpaiguri Rachna Bhagat regarding her alleged involvement in the child trafficking case.
On Friday, Darjeeling DCPO Mrinal Ghosh was arrested along with a member of the Darjeeling District Child Welfare Committee, Debasis Chandra, in connection with the case.
7 arrested so far
The child trafficking racket in North Bengal came to light recently following the arrest of the owner of a child care home, Chandana Chakraborty, and one of her associates. Another person was arrested within a few days.
The State unit of BJP faced a major embarrassment when the name of its women’s wing general secretary, Juhi Chowdhury, cropped up in the investigation.
Media flayed
PTI adds: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Monday hit out at the Trinamool Congress government and a section of the media for trying to tarnish the party’s image in the child trafficking case.
He also accused CID of trying to frame BJP leaders in the child trafficking case and arresting party leader Juhi Chowdhury.
“I really have a doubt about the wisdom of the media and CID. The prime accused Chandana Chakraborty was arrested and on the basis of her version our party leader Juhi Chowdhury too was arrested by CID and the entire media is shouting slogans against BJP,” Mr. Ghosh said here.
The BJP state unit on Tuesday had removed Ms. Juhi from all party posts till the investigation is over and she comes out clean.
“A section of media is busy dancing to TMC’s tune. The TMC government in order to save their own leaders are trying to frame BJP leaders in false cases. But media should remember that we are not in politics because of them,” Mr. Ghosh said.
The CID had unearthed the child trafficking racket during raids at homes and nursing homes in Baduria area of North 24 Parganas district, in Behala in the southern fringes of Kolkata and some other parts of south Bengal in November last year.
