Child protection officer in West Bengal sells 17 children, held

Member of welfare committee also arrested by CID for entering into shady adoption deals with foreigners

A CID officer accompanies Mrinal Ghosh. Pics/AFP

Jalpaiguri: The CID has arre­sted the head of a child protection agency in Darjeeling and a member of a Child Welfare Committee on charges of selling babies and children, some to foreigners, through questionable adoption deals,.

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Police said Mrinal Ghosh, Darjeeling district Child Protection Officer, and Debashish Chandra, a district Child Welfare Committee member, were questioned on Friday, and subsequently arrested. Their arrest is part of a widening probe into the adoption racket at the Bimala Shishu Griho, a children's home in Jalpaiguri town.

Debashish Chandra

The probe had previously led to the arrest of state BJP women's wing leader, Juhi Chowdhury, and three others, including Sonali Mondal, the chief adoption officer of the chil­dren's home, the home's chairperson Chandana Chak­raborty and her brother Manas Bhowmik.

They have been charged with selling around 17 children, aged between 1 and 14 years, to foreigners by entering into shady adoption deals. CID have not disclosed the Sections under which the accused have been charged.

Chandana Chakraborty

6
No. of people detained in the case so far in West Bengal

Sonali Mondal

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