Pamela a drug addict, claims Kolkata police citing arrested BJP leader's father

The father of Pamela Goswami,the flamboyant youth wing leader of the BJP arrested foralleged possession of cocaine, had told Kolkata police she hadbecome a drug addict under the influence of a friend whom hewanted to be kept ''under watch'', police sources said Saturday.

Sources in the city police said Goswami and her friendPrabeer Kumar Dey, who was arrested with her on Friday, wereliving together for some time.

Clad in a red saree, a bespectacled Goswami created aflutter at a city court where she was produced, trying towriggle out of the grasp of police and screaming that RakeshSingh, a close aide of BJP's West Bengal pointsman KailashVijayvargiya, ''plotted'' her arrest.

Goswami, a former fashion model and small-timeactress, was remanded in police custody till February 25.

Very active on social media platforms where she hadtaken on celebrities like singer Rihanna over the farmersprotest, Goswami was arrested with Dey and her personalsecurity guard Somnath Chatterjee on Friday after 90 gm ofcocaine was allegedly found in her handbag and concealed inthe car she was travelling.

''I want a CID investigation. Rakesh Singh is close toKailash Vijayvargiya. Arrest him. This is his conspiracy. Ihave all evidence,'' Goswami shouted, as a battery ofjournalists followed her into the courtroom.

Claiming that Goswami had been ''brainwashed'' byKolkata police and the ruling TMC, Singh said he was not intouch with her for over a year. He said he was ready to faceinvestigation by any agency.

''If I am involved, they can call me or KailashVijayvargiya or Amit Shah. I think the police have brainwashedher. I am not in touch with Pamela for more than one-and-ahalf-years now,'' Singh told PTI.

''It's possible that the Kolkata police is followingthe Trinamool Congress's instructions. They are conspiringagainst me. These are baseless accusations and I am ready toface any challenge,'' he added.

The TMC was quick to grab the opportunity to beratethe BJP, its challenger in the assembly election sweepstake.

''Earlier, one of their leaders was arrested forinvolvement in child trafficking. Now another has beenarrested in a drugs case. This proves what the BJP and itsleaders are up to,'' TMC secretary-general and state ministerPartha Chatterjee said.

He was apparently referring to the CID questioning BJPRajya Sabha MP Roopa Ganguly in connection with an allegedchild trafficking case in Jalpaiguri in 2017 in which theparty's women cell general secretary Juhi Chowdhuri wasarrested.

The CID had claimed to have unearthed a childtrafficking racket where children were sold, some toforeigners, in illegal adoption deals.

''No gentleman is associated with a party like the BJP.

Only criminals, drug addicts and peddlers are associated witha corrupt party like the BJP,'' Firhad Hakim, a minister in theMamata Banerjee cabinet, said.

Vijayvargiya, the BJP general secretary incharge ofWest Bengal, said he has faith in the judical system and lawwill take its own course.

''I do not know about this incident and hence will notlike to comment. I have full trust in our legal system. Ifsomeone is found guilty, law will take its own course,'' hetold PTI.

Meanwhile, Kolkata police said they had been keeping avigilant eye on both Goswami and her friend Prabeer followinga complaint by her father in April last year.

In his letter to the city police chief Kaushik Goswamihad alleged that Prabeer had turned Pamela into a drug addict.

He had claimed Prabeer did not keep the promise he made todivorce his wife and get married to Pamela, while requestingpolice to ''keep a watch'' on his activities.

''We were keeping an eye on both of them and gatheredinformation about their involvement in drug trafficking. Weare questioning them and trying to find out who all areinvolved with them and whether they have links to inter-stateor international drug rackets,'' a police officer said speakingon condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, sources in the state BJP said Goswami waslikely to be suspended from the party.

''Most likely the party will take some disciplinaryaction against her till she is proved innocent. This incidentis damaging the party's reputation,'' a senior state BJP leadersaid.

Goswami had joined the BJP in 2018 and was quiteactive as part of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).

In 2020, when Lok Sabha MP Saumitra Khan, a ruling TMCturncoat, joined the BJP, she was appointed the statesecretary of the BJYM and its observer for Hooghly district.

She regularly attended the meetings of top BJP leadersand posted photographs on her Facebook page.