CBI may arrest former police chief Rajeev Kumar; Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, reinstates him in CID

CBI may arrest former police chief Rajeev Kumar; Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, reinstates him in CID

FPJ BureauUpdated: Monday, June 03, 2019, 07:52 PM IST
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New Delhi: There is a new flashpoint which could further vitiate the relations between the West Bengal government and the Centre. The CBI on Sunday served formal summons on former Kolkata police commissioner and Mamata Banerjee’s close aide Rajeev Kumar, asking him to appear before it at the agency’s Kolkata office on Monday in connection with the Saradha Chit Fund probe. The CBI’s move came shortly after the West Bengal government reinstated Kumar as the additional director general of the CID.

A CBI team served the summons at Kumar’s house. The development came amid the buzz that the CBI may also arrest Kumar on Monday. The agency had earlier issued a Look out Notice to prevent him from leaving the country. All airports and immigration authorities were alerted by the CBI this week. The agency wants custodial interrogation of Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, in connection with Rs 2500 crore Saradha ponzi scam as he was heading the Special Investigation Team of West Bengal Police to probe the case before CBI took over, they said.

The CBI had told the Supreme Court that custodial interrogation of Kumar was necessary as he was not cooperating with the probe and he was “evasive” and “arrogant” in answering queries put to him during his questioning by the agency. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the CBI, had said Kumar was the in-charge of investigation by the SIT and had allowed the release of mobile phones and laptops, containing crucial records of alleged involvement of political functionaries in the scam, which were seized from the accused.

Mehta had said the seized mobile phones and laptops were not even sent for forensic examination and material evidence was destroyed in the case The apex court had last month asked the CBI to furnish evidence for seeking custodial interrogation of Kumar in the Saradha case, saying it has to be satisfied that the agency’s request was “bona fide” and not for “political purposes”. The apex court on May 17 had withdrawn protection given to Kumar from any arrest and had asked the CBI to proceed as per law. Kumar had again approached the Supreme Court on May 20 seeking extension of protection claiming that the courts in West Bengal were not functioning due to lawyers’ strike. This petition was rejected following which Kumar had approached a Kolkata court with an anticipatory bail plea.

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