BJP youth leader Pamela Goswami arrested with cocaine in Kolkata: Police
Kolkata, Feb 19: BJP's youth-wing leader Pamela Goswami was arrested with cocaine from south Kolkata's upscale New Alipore area on Friday, 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 was allegedly found in her handbag, and other parts of the car, police said.
Acting on a tip-off, sleuths of the New Alipore police station made the arrests when she was parking the car, 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," the officer said.
A team of policemen in eight vehicles surrounded Goswami's car and made the arrests, he said.
"An investigation into the matter is underway. We are trying to find out whether she is involved in any drug racket," the officer said.
The BJP said that it suspects the police's role in the drugs recovery but if Goswami was wrong, 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.
State 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 are still under the state government. So, anything can be possible. We need to see whether the packets were planted inside her vehicle and her bag. I am not sure."
State minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya slammed the BJP and said it was a shame that even women from the party were found involved in such illegal acts.
"Earlier, we saw the involvement of several BJP leaders in child trafficking, and now drug trafficking. Every time they cannot cry conspiracy. It's a shame that their (BJP's) women leaders are involved in such illegal activities," she said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
