Just two months after an inter-state racket of child smuggling had rocked West Bengal, new cases of infant smuggling has come to the fore in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police arrested Chandana Chakraborty (55) and Sonali Mondal (30) in a different case of child smuggling, Nishat Pervez, DIG Operations said.
According to the investigators, the duo in the past few years have sold more than a dozen of babies not only in the country but abroad as well.
Three homes
Three homes -- Bimala Sishu Griho, Ashroy Short Stay Home and North Bengal People’s Development Committee run by Chandana Chakraborty – were under the scanner by the investigators on allegations of irregularities by Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.
On Tuesday the Jalpaiguri District Magistrate issued a show cause notice to Sasmita Ghosh, the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), asking her to explain how 17 children from the homes had gone missing.
In November 2016, the West Bengal police rescued 12 infants from a nursing home in Baduria, North 24-Parganas, and a home for the mentally ill in Thakurpukur near Kolkata.
The case was handed over to the CID, which arrested more than a dozen of persons, including doctors. The charge sheet filed by the CID named 19 persons.
Among those arrested are a retired doctor, Dilip Ghosh, whose association with the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had embarrassed the party. Mr Ghosh had contested civic polls on a BJP ticket
The name of Juhi Chowdhury, a general secretary of the BJP women’s wing, also cropped up in the investigation. According to the investigators, she along with Ms Chakraborty, visited Delhi a number of times and met senior government officials.
CID sources said that Ms Chowdhury remains elusive and the officials are keen on questioning her on the developments. Meanwhile, BJP State president Dilip Ghosh said he would look into the matter and take steps if Ms Chowdhury is guilty.
Political agenda
“I believe this might also be a part of the political agenda. However, our party has a set policy. Since fingers have been pointed, our party will definitely look into it. The BJP won’t support anyone found guilty. If the allegations are found to be true, she will be thrown out of the party,” Mr Ghosh said.
BJP MP Roopa Ganguly has put her weight behind Ms Chowdhury saying she was being framed.
