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Is 'Draupadi' Roopa Ganguly involved in child trafficking racket?

Updated on: 02 March,2017 06:00 AM IST  | 
mid-day online correspondent |

Actor-turned-BJP MP Roopa Ganguly who has been named in a child trafficking case has warned that those putting such 'detestable charges' on her would have to pay for it

Is 'Draupadi' Roopa Ganguly involved in child trafficking racket?

BJP leader Roopa Ganguly
BJP leader Roopa Ganguly


Draupadi is considered to be one of the 'panchakanyas' from Hindu epics. Panchakanya is a group of five (actually six) iconic heroines from the Indian indu epics, who are venerated as ideal women and extolled in a hymn and whose names are believed to dispel sin when recited. They are Sita, Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari.


But that's mythology, in real life the actress who played 'Draupadi' in the TV epic 'Mahabharat' -- Roopa Ganguly -- has become embroiled a new controversy after being named as by the key accused in a child trafficking case in West Bengal.


A key accused in the case that's now gaining national publicity -- Chandana Chakraborty, the chairperson of a child care home in Bengal and NGO 'Bimala Sishu Griho' has named the reel-life 'Draupadi', who is BJP's West Bengal women's wing president and BJP's national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya in connection to the case.

Chakraborty, chairperson of Jalpaiguri-based child adoption centre, was arrested for selling at least 17 children through shady adoption deals.

Also Read: Diary shows BJP leader's connection with traffickers: Bengal CID

Chandana has claimed that general secretary in the West Bengal BJP’s women’s wing Juhi Chowdhury was responsible for all wrongdoings. She stated that Juhi had spoken to Vijayvargiya and Ganguly to "resolve some issues" about running the child care home.

Claiming that Juhi introduced her to Roopa and Vijayvargiya, Chakraborty told reporters, "I have not spoken to anyone (central BJP leaders). Juhi spoke to them and perhaps to Roopa Ganguly and Kailash Vijayvargiya. I was sitting in another room when she spoke to them."

On the run Chowdhury has been arrested and intensely grilled with the CID sleuths.

With Chowdhury's arrest, four persons have been arrested so far for their alleged involvement in selling of babies and children in India and abroad in the last few months from 'Bimala Sishu Griho'.

Sonali Mondal, Chief Adoption Officer of the NGO, Chandana and Chandana's brother Manas Bhowmik, were arrested by a seven-member CID team.

Vijayvargiya has of course slammed the  allegations and called them completely baseless. He said, "The CID in West Bengal has turned into the conspiracy invention department of TMC. Let there be an investigation by a central investigating agency. Truth will come out".

Ganguly had on Tuesday refuted the allegations of her involvement, calling them as "baseless, fabricated and malicious". She said that the allegations were made only to frame her.

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya

Meanwhile, Chowdhury also alleged that she had been framed in the child trafficking scandal.

Speaking to reporters during her transit from the Matigara  police station, where she was held overnight after her arrest, to a local court, she said that a political conspiracy had been hatched against her.

BJP MP Roopa Ganguly
BJP MP Roopa Ganguly

Accusing the West Bengal government of "sleeping" while the child trafficking racket was active for so long, the actor-turned-BJP MP on Wednesday said those who are putting such "detestable charges" on her would have to pay for it.

Read Story: Child trafficking-accused Bengal BJP leader held near Nepal border

"Those who are trying to put such detestable charges on me and a young girl like Juhi Chowdhury, would have to pay for it," Ganguly said, refering to her name being mentioned in connection with the racket.

"The home (adoption centre) was running for a long time. How come the state government was not aware of any of these activities? I hope they were not sleeping," she said.

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