PANAJI

The BJP on Tuesday said that Vasudev Parab, holder of a government-allotted industrial plot in the coastal state where a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) raid busted a ketamine manufacturing racket, was not involved in its trade.

“Parab does not have any involvement in it. He has not committed this crime. The only crime he has committed is that he had put the plot on rent without informing the IDC (Industrial Development Corporation). 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.