CBI moves SC for custodial interrogation of Kolkata ex-police chief

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 6

The CBI has moved the Supreme Court seeking permission to arrest of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar for his custodial interrogation in the Saradha chit fund scam.

In a fresh plea filed in the top court, the CBI said a lot of evidence has gone missing in the case, CBI sources said.

Since Rajeev Kumar was heading the West Bengal Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) which probed the matter before it was handed over to the central agency, he must be arrested for further interrogation, they said.

The agency has already examined him in Shillong following a Supreme Court order asking him to cooperate with the probe.

The CBI’s first attempt to investigate the then Kolkata Police Commissioner had led to a huge controversy after CBI slueths were detaines by the state police. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had went on strike over alleged misuse of CBI by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. 

On March 26, the top court had said it could not “close its eyes” if some “very very serious facts” were disclosed to it and as CBI to file an application seeking appropriate relief/action against Kumar, who had once headed the state police SIT on Saradha chit fund scam probe.

It had also refused to discharge West Bengal Chief Secretary and Director General of Police in a contempt case filed against them and former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar by the CBI for allegedly obstructing the probe into the Sardha chit fund scam.

It had given 10 days to CBI to file its application against Rajeev Kumar after Atttorney General KK Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there were serious allegations against the officials.

The Bench had said it could not pass any order without hearing the other side.

The top court is seized of a contempt petition filed by CBI against senior officials of the West Bengal government, including the Chief Secretary, DGP and former Kolkata police chief for allegedly obstructing its probe into the chit fund scam and destroying evidence.

The Supreme Court had on February 4 warned Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar of strict action if it was found that he tried to destroy evidence relating to Saradha chit fund scam case in West Bengal after the CBI said it apprehended “destruction of electronic evidence”.

“If the Police Commissioner is even remotely trying to destroy evidence, we will come down so heavily on him that he will regret,” it had said.