BJP’s Roopa Ganguly grilled by CID in child smuggling case

Kolkata, July 29 (IANS) BJP Rajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly, who was on Saturday grilled by the CID in connection with a child smuggling racket, questioned the absence of information on the prime accused in the case and alleged political vendetta.

"This is political vendetta. I know that. I have been vocal about this from Day 1. I want this case to be solved as early as possible. Our party worker has been wrongly linked to the case," Ganguly told the media here after a two-hour interrogation by the CID at her residence over her alleged meeting with Juhi Chowdhury, former BJP womens' wing leader from Jalpaiguri, an accused in the case.

The case came to light on February 19 when a complaint was registered at the Jalpaiguri police station.

The names of Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Vijayvargiya and Rajya Sabha member Ganguly surfaced in the case after a series of arrests, including those of political leaders and state government officials.

Chowdhury, after her arrest in February, allegedly revealed her connection with actor-turned-politician Ganguly, while Vijayvargiya's name also came up, triggering a political controversy in the state.

"If they had come earlier... the process would have started. There is no news on the prime accused. Why? Those who were running Child Welfare Committee... it was defunct for months... why no news on them ? This has been happening for so many years... administration was defunct... didn't they know ? Why isn't anyone questioning the accused," Ganguly said.

Reposing faith in Chowdhury's innocence, Ganguly said she will co-operate with the CID.

"I honestly believe Juhi is innocent. She is a little girl who can't go into things like child smuggling. But the proceedings will be conducted as per law. Anything they ask me to expedite the case, I will co-operate as many times," Ganguly said.

"There were no allegations against me... they had some questions, some information required to help them solve the case and understand the situation. No matter how irrelevant and stupid questions they ask... I will answer them," she asserted, adding the agency is "not working properly".

The CID officials had earlier arrested six people in connection with the alleged selling of at least 17 children through shady adoption deals.

The arrested were Darjeeling former District Child Protection Officer Mrinal Ghosh, Darjeeling Child Welfare Committee member Debasish Chanda, Chairperson of the accused child adoption centre Chandana Chakraborty, Chief Adoption Officer Sonali Mondal and Chakraborty's aide Manas Bhowmik, besides Juhi Chowdhury.

CID sources claimed the agency had recovered a diary with detailed entries about Chowdhury's connection with traffickers.

According to the said diary, Chowdhury accompanied prime accused and Jalpaiguri-based child adoption centre Bimala Sishu Griho chairperson Chandana Chakraborty to Delhi on February 2 and met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya.

They were also supposed to meet a Union Minister to discuss the adoption centres in Jalpaiguri, sources said.

"The crime has been committed six eight months ago. The NGO has been shut down. Some people were linked to it and you are accusing somebody of helping it reopen. So why can't the same officials find out who were doing it," she asked.

"Those who planned it... I am sure they have no brains... they are so foolish... so illogical they are," Ganguly said in an apparent reference to the Trinamool Congress.