BJP youth leader arrested with cocaine in Kolkata party says foul play likely

    (Eds: With updates, more inputs)
    Kolkata, Feb 19 (PTI) BJP youth-wing leader Pamela
Goswami was on Friday arrested with cocaine worth lakhs of
rupees from south Kolkata's upscale New Alipore area, police
said.
    Goswami, the state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva
Morcha (BJYM), was along with a friend, identified as Prabir
Kumar Dey, in her car when both of them were nabbed, they
said.
    Around 100 gm of cocaine "worth a few lakh of rupees"
was found in her handbag, and other parts of the car, police
claimed.
    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."
    The ruling Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, slammed the
saffron party and said it was a shame that even women from its
fold were found involved in such illegal acts.
    "Earlier, we saw the involvement of several BJP
leaders in child trafficking, and now drug trafficking. They
cannot cry conspiracy every time," Bengal minister and senior
TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said. PTI SCH SOM
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)