BJP youth leader, arrested for cocaine possession in Kolkata, accuses party colleague of conspiracy

BJP’s youth-wing leader Pamela Goswami, arrested in a drugs case, on Saturday demanded the arrest of party colleague Rakesh Singh, accusing him of conspiracy, and sought a CID probe into the matter. Goswami, the state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), was arrested along with a friend, Pradip Kumar Dey, and her personal security guard from south Kolkata’s New Alipore area on Friday after around 90 gm of cocaine worth lakhs of rupees was allegedly found from her handbag and car, according to police. Acting on a tip-off, sleuths of the New Alipore police station made the arrests when she was parking the vehicle, an officer said. “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,” he said. A team of policemen in eight vehicles surrounded Goswami’s car and apprehended her, he said. The BJP youth-wing leader’s security guard, who was inside the same vehicle, was also arrested, the police officer said. “An investigation into the matter is underway. We are trying to find out whether she is involved in any drug racket,” he said. The BJP said it suspected that Goswami was being framed, but added that if she is found guilty, the law should take its course. “We had earlier seen that the state police had named several BJP activists in arms cases. I do not have much information about this incident that is why I will not be able to say more. Pamela is a young girl. If she has done anything wrong, the law will take its course,” BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said. West Bengal BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, “I do not know whether this is planted. The model code of conduct is yet to come into effect and the police is still under the state government. So, anything can be possible.” Goswami, however, accused a colleague from her own party. “I want a CID investigation. BJP’s Rakesh Singh, the aide of Kailash Vijayvargiya, should be arrested. This is his conspiracy,” Goswami told reporters while being taken to lock-up from a city court. Singh, a BJP state committee member, alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Kolkata Police were conspiring against him and have “brainwashed” Goswami. He said that he has not been in touch with Goswami for more than a year and was ready to face any investigation. “If I am involved, they can call me or Kailash Vijayvargiya or Amit Shah. I think the police have brainwashed her. I am not in touch with Pamela for more than one-and-a half-years now,” Singh told PTI. “This can be that the Kolkata Police is following the Trinamool Congress’s instructions. They are conspiring against me. These are baseless accusations and I am ready to face any challenge,” he added. The Trinamool Congress said that the whole episode portrays the “true character” of the BJP. “Earlier, one of their leaders was arrested for involvement in child trafficking. Now another one is arrested in the drugs case. This only proves what the BJP and its leaders are up to,” TMC’s secretary-general and state minister Partha Chatterjee said.