KOLKATA: After BJP Yuva Morcha office-bearer Pamela Goswami — who was arrested by the Kolkata police for allegedly possessing 90 gms of cocaine in her car — repeatedly claimed that she was a victim of a conspiracy, JCP (crime) Murlidhar Sharma told TOI on Monday that the detective department had taken over the case.
Sleuths have summoned BJP leader Rakesh Singh for interrogation at 4 pm on Tuesday. The development coincided with BJP Yuva Morcha worker and co-accused Prabir Kumar Dey pointing fingers at someone “other than the police who planted the cocaine in the car and salon”.
“The person who planted the drugs in the car is the same one who might have planted the cocaine in the salon,” Dey said.
Cops said they are trying to identify the man who Goswami and Dey claimed was in the car at New Alipore right before their arrest.
“We are ascertaining if they were given assurances regarding their careers by this mystery man,” an officer said. Sources said the police on Monday studied the CCTV footage seized from the New Town salon. “We now know those who would visit the salon. A list of employees has been drawn up and they have been asked to join the investigation,” an officer said.
The cops said prima facie the narcotic seized from the accused seems to be in crude form. “This is usually found with dealers. We are waiting for the CFSL report,” an officer said. The call logs of Goswami and Dey have also been analysed, sources said.
Goswami’s lawyer, Sudhodip Roy, dismissed the police’s claims. “The police story will fall flat as they do not have evidence. The cops are yet to tell us why the driver of the hired vehicle from which the seizure was made was not interrogated. How does a person know what is kept inside a hired car,” he asked.
The lawyer told TOI that they had moved a petition in the local court on Monday to allow two advocates access to their client.
“The petition has been granted and a woman advocate will be meeting her on Tuesday,” said Roy. “Whatever the cops might try, we are confident of ensuring bail for Goswami,” he said.
Singh, who spoke to TOI on Sunday about his letter to the commissioner, has said he will lodge a defamation case against the Kolkata police if Goswami drags his name into this case while in police custody.