Parab not involved in ketamine trade: Goa BJP

Goa's BJP unit has said that Vasudev Parab, holder of a government-allotted industrial plot in the coastal state where a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) raid unearthed a ketamine manufacturing racket, was not involved in its trade.

"Parab does not have one per cent, even 0.1 per cent involvement in it. He has not committed a crime. The only crime he has committed is that he had put the plot on rent without informing the IDC (Industrial Development Corporation). This is his only crime. We have full faith in Vasudev Parab, that he is not involved in such things and he will not be involved in such things in the future," state Bharatiya Janata Party President Vinay Tendulkar said on Tuesday.

Tendulkar's remarks comes two days after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar ruled out a state government probe into the ketamine or date-rape drug manufacturing racket, which DRI has claimed as one of the biggest ever raids on drug manufacturing operations, which the enforcement agency has ever undertaken.

Last week while responding to allegations of favouritism made by the Congress, BJP spokespersons said that Parab had no links with the party.

However, Parab is an office bearer of BJP's North Goa district unit.

Tendulkar also said, that Parab's only violation was that he had rented the industrial plot allotted to him by the Goa Industrial Development Corporation to a third-party, which is against the rules.

After giving out the plot on rent, Parab earned Rs 75,000 per month and had no inkling about what was going on, he added.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the Corporation issued a show cause notice to Parab.

The Congress has urged Parrikar to launch an independent probe into the case, while also accusing the BJP of trying to shield manufacturers of the date-rape drug.

In a three-day operation code-named 'Operation Vitamin', the DRI last week, busted an internrational drug syndicate, seizing 308 kg ketamine, two tonnes of raw material at various sites in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, arresting 10 persons including two from the UK and one from Vietnam.

Nearly 100 kg of ketamine and raw material used to manufacture the drug was also found at Parab's industrial unit, which was used by an NRI Jimi Sandhu.

Used as a tranquiliser for veterinary purposes, ketamine is a common party drug and is known for its hallucinating effects.

--IANS

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