BJP expels Juhi Chowdhury for her alleged involvement in Jalpaiguri child trafficking case

Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday expelled women's wing leader Juhi Chowdhury, who was arrested from the Batasia area close to the Indo-Nepal border in North Bengal, for her alleged involvement in the Jalpaiguri child trafficking case.

Taking strict action, the disciplinary committee of West Bengal BJP unit also removed father Rabindranath Chowdhury, from his position in the state committee.

Juhi was remanded to 12-day judicial custody after she was presented in court today.

Juhi is the fourth person arrested in the Jalpaiguri district case which has created a storm in West Bengal with its political connotations.

Chowdhury, who was on the run for the last few days after her name was linked to the case involving trafficking of at least 17 children, has been brought to Matigara police station here for interrogation.

With Chowdhury's arrest, a total of four persons have so far been arrested in connection with the case for their alleged involvement in selling of babies and children across India and also to foreign couples in the last few months from an NGO Bimala Sishu Griho.

Sonali Mondal, Chief Adoption Officer the NGO, Chandana Chakraborty, Chairperson of Bimala Sishu Griho and Manas Bhowmik, Chandana's brother, were arrested by a seven-member CID team.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has already said the party was looking into the allegations against Chowdhury and would take action if she was found guilty.

The CID blew off the lid of a child trafficking racket conducting raids in homes and nursing homes in Baduria of North 24 Parganas district, in Behala in the southern fringes of Kolkata and some other parts of south Bengal since November last year.

Ghosh said the party was not calling her innocent or guilty at this stage, but the law of the land should prevail.

Ghosh on Tuesday alleged that she was being victimised as part of a larger political conspiracy.

"Juhi is our party worker. I know her. Now suddenly her name has been linked into the case. So we are taking our own time. That doesn't mean that we are calling her innocent."

"She has to be tried according to law. If she is guilty, the party will not take her side. She should be punished as per law of the land. Our legal cell will try to secure her bail because till now we don't hold her guilty," Ghosh said.