Ex-Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar appears at CBI office for questioning in Saradha scam

Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Friday arrived at Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office in Kolkata for questioning in connection with the Saradha chit-fund scam case. Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had granted one month’s protection from arrest to Rajeev Kumar, currently posted at West Bengal CID as Additional Director General, in connection with the Saradha scam case.

The former Kolkata police chief had been asked to cooperate with the CBI investigation into the multi-crore chit fund case, while recording his attendance with an officer of the central probe agency every day at 4 pm.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had served a notice on Kumar asking him to appear before it for assisting the investigation into the case. Kumar moved the Calcutta High Court Thursday, seeking quashing of the CBI notice served on him over alleged suppression of facts in the Saradha chit fund scam case.

Kumar, a former commissioner of Kolkata Police, was appointed ADG, CID, by the Mamata Banerjee-led government before the Lok Sabha elections. He was, however, removed by the Election Commission during the poll process and was attached to the home ministry in New Delhi.

The state government reinstated him following the withdrawal of the model code of conduct. The Supreme Court had last month dismissed a plea of Kumar seeking extension of protection from arrest in the multi-crore chit fund scam case.

In January, the Centre and the state government had faced an unprecedented standoff after a CBI team, which reached the residence of Kumar for questioning, had to retreat following police intervention.

Chief Minister Banerjee came out in Kumar’s defence and launched a sit-in to protest in the city against the Centre’s move. On February 5, the Supreme Court had prevented the agency from any coercive action against Kumar, while directing the former police commissioner to appear and co-operate in CBI questioning at a “neutral place”. He was questioned by the CBI for nearly five days in Shillong from February 9.

Kumar, who was appointed Commissioner of Police at Bidhan Nagar Police Commissionerate in 2012, had served as the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) which probed the ponzi scams before the CBI took over.

(With PTI inputs)