The child trafficking racket unearthed in Jalpaiguri surfaced at the administrative meeting attended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and administrative top brass of the state in Jalpaiguri on Tuesday. Expressing serious concern over the matter, she directed the administration to take all necessary measures to immediately put an end to the heinous crime. Banerjee said she would be monitoring records of children's homes with the help of a mobile application.
Directing Rashmi Sen of the West Bengal state women and child development ministry to make frequent visits to the districts and keep a strict tab on the situation, she stated: "Keep records of the children homes and adoptions. We will monitor these records through a mobile application."
The Chief Minister wanted to know details regarding the children's homes — both government and private — of the district at the meeting.
"Children are being trafficked. What is the women and child development ministry doing? The DM and the SDO along with the police have to keep a strict tab and monitor the homes and adoptions carefully. This is a border area and large number of tourists visit Jalpaiguri. We will not tolerate such crimes.
I want a detailed report," she stated. Chief Secretary, Home Secretary along with senior officials of the state government took part in the review meeting along with district officials and public representatives.
Later during the day, the Chief Minister attended a government programme in Jalpaiguri where schemes and services pertaining to roads, infrastructure, health, transport, education, social sector and many more were launched. Government benefits were handed down to beneficiaries on the occasion through various schemes.
Incidentally, unearthing of an alleged child trafficking and illegal adoption racket in Jalpaiguri district has brought many shelter homes of North Bengal under the scanner.
Based on complaints by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA); while investigating irregularities in three homes, namely Bimala Sishu Griho, Ashroy Short Stay Home and North Bengal People's Development Committee, the CID recovered incriminating documents from the homes which give clear indications towards child trafficking and selling babies to countries like France, US, Singapore and Spain.
The owner of the homes — Chandana Chakraborty; her brother Manas Bhowmik; Sonali Mondal, chief adoption officer along with BJP leader Juhi Chowdhury; Darjeeling District Child Protection Officer Mrinal Ghosh, Jalpaiguri DCPO Sasmita Ghosh and CWC member from Darjeeling Dr Debasish Chanda have been arrested in connection to the case by the CID.
As many as 17 kids are unaccounted for. CID sleuths have started looking for the 17 kids whose records claim that they had been united with their biological parents.
The CID found that the names and addresses of the names of those parents are all fake. The fake addresses and restoration orders were allegedly conjured up by Mrinal Ghosh, DCPO, Darjeeling, and Dr Debasish Chanda, CWC member, Darjeeling. Both have been arrested.