Bengal Police arrests BJP leader over sex racket involving minors

Kolkata: The West Bengal Police arrested a BJP leader, Sabyasachi Ghosh, for allegedly running a prostitution racket, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the state said on Friday. Ghosh alleged sex racket in Howrah involves minor girls, Hindustan Times reported.

According to the ruling party, the police arrested 11 people in this regard and rescued six minor girls from Howrah's Sankrail.

"@BJP4Bengal leader Sabyasachi Ghosh caught running a PROSTITUTION RACKET of MINOR GIRLS in his hotel in Howrah's Sankrail. The police arrested 11 accused & rescued 6 victims from the spot. THIS IS BJP. They don't protect BETIS, they protect PIMPS!," TMC wrote on X.

TMC mocked BJP over its slogan for 'Beti' (daughter), saying that the saffron protects pimps instead of daughters and women.

TMC made the announcement when a fresh protest erupted in Sandeshkhali on Friday after women took to the streets and torched a thatched building belonging to TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan. They sought the arrest of Sheikh as well as his aides over sexual assault and land grabbing.

The fresh incidents erupted in Sandeshkhali on Thursday, just hours after the state police head urged villagers not to take the law into their hands.

BJP, however, took the chance to slam the state government, Chief Minister Banerjee, and her party, TMC, for neglecting the issue of women. State police have detained many women leaders of the protest, including BJP MP Locker Chatterjee, accusing them of breaching Section 144.

Earlier in the day, upon their arrival in the restive Sandeshkhali area, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) team led by acting vice-chairperson Ananta Nayak engaged with locals and documented over 23 complaints of forced land grabbing and torture.