Jalpaiguri child trafficking: Juhi Chowdhury hoped to get CARA officials on board to help Chandana Chakraborty, says CID

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“We have gathered evidence that confirms that the two were working together and Juhi was helping Chandana to get the necessary paperwork to make the latter’s adoption centre ‘legal’. She was hoping to do this by getting CARA officials on board,” a senior officer said.

The agency said that data from Juhi’s phone also confirmed that the money found in Chandana’s bank account was sent “by Juhi through the bank accounts of her relatives.”

“The relatives have come forward and given a statement in the court, stating that they had in fact sent the money after Juhi had asked them to,” the CID officer added.

The agency had begun investigation into the case after receiving a complaint from CARA authorities regarding irregularities at child care centre Sishu Griho, after they had suddenly shifted 11 infants to homes in Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur.

CID officers claimed that apart from Sishu Griho, two other homes — Ashray Short Stay Home and North Bengal People’s Development Committee — were also involved in an “international” infant smuggling racket and sold babies to countries like France, US, Singapore and Spain.

Apart from Chandana, who owns the three homes, the CID also arrested 30-year-old Sonali Mondal who was the chief adoption officer of Sishu Griho.

Officers said Juhi and Chandana had visited Delhi on February 10 and at least one other time. The CID said that they had seized entry and exit receipts from the North Block in the Parliament from Sishu Griho.

The agency claimed, with the help of Juhi, Chandana was attempting to find a channel to “communicate” with CARA and officials of the Women and Child Welfare Ministry, under which CARA functions.

“On the day Chandana was arrested, she and Juhi were scheduled to make a third trip to Delhi to facilitate procurement of documents for illegal adoptions that Chandana specialised in,” said the CID officer.