Child trafficking case: CID set to quiz BJP’s Roopa Ganguly, Kailash Vijayvargiya

Kolkata: The state criminal investigation department (CID) on Thursday sent notices to BJP MP Roopa Ganguly and the party’s national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya for questioning in connection with the child trafficking case that was initiated at Kotwali police station in Jalpaiguri district in February. Two other BJP leaders from North Bengal, Vinayak Mishra and Prakash Sareen, have also been served notices to depose before the CID. All of them have been summoned on July 27 and 29. 

Ms Ganguly and Mr Vijayvargiya’s names had surfaced when one of the prime accused in the case, Chandana Chakraborty, was arrested in February. Chakraborty, who was the chairperson of the NGO Bimala Sishu Griho, had alleged that both of them were involved in the racket. BJP women’s wing leader Juhi Chowdhury was also arrested for helping the NGO to get government funding and licences through her political influence. Chakraborty had also alleged that it was Chowdhury who lobbied with Ms Ganguly and Mr Vijayvargiya and spoke about the NGO. The racket allegedly sold infants on the pretext of adoption.

Kailash Vijayvargiya

CID officials said that they have evidence that suggests that Chowdhury had met Ms Ganguly in central Kolkata earlier.

Mr Vijayvargiya, who is also in charge of the BJP in Bengal, claimed that he had not received any such notice, but had got the news from the media. “Mamata Banerjee can do anything for the sake of ‘revenge politics’. She is not being able to maintain law and order in the state. Darjeeling has been on the boil for more than a month. Communal violence is erupting in parts of the state. She is also suffering from frustration as in the presidetial election her own party leaders have indulged in cross voting,” he said.

Demanding a CBI probe in the child trafficking case, he asserted that the BJP has no faith in the state police and the CID, as they are acting at the behest of Ms Banerjee.