Kolkata Police summon BJP leader in drug seizure case

Kolkata, Feb 23: The Kolkata Police on Monday issued summons to BJP leader Rakesh Singh in connection with its investigation of a drug seizure case in which Pamela Goswami, a functionary of the party's youth wing, and two of her associates were arrested last week, an officer said.

Goswami has accused Singh of hatching a conspiracy to frame her in the case.

"He (Singh) was asked to appear before our investigating officers on February 23," the IPS officer said.

Singh earlier wrote to city Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra stating that since Goswami had alleged his involvement in the matter, he is ready to "fully cooperate" with the police in its investigation.

In his email, he also said that if Goswami accuses him of being associated with the case in public while being in the custody of Kolkata Police, he would "be constrained to proceed legally towards filing a defamation suit against" the force "without any further notification".

Singh has forwarded copies of the letter to the state home secretary and officer-in-charge of the New Alipore police station under whose jurisdiction Goswami and two others were arrested after the seizure of 90gm of cocaine from their possession.

Goswami, the state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), was arrested along with a friend, Prabeer Kumar Dey, and her personal security guard from south Kolkatas New Alipore area on Friday.

The investigation of the matter was on Monday taken over by the Kolkata Police's Detective Department, the officer said.