Kolkata: In a fresh setback for senior IPS officer Rajeev Kumar, who is being hunted by the CBI in connection with the Saradha scam probe, a district and sessions court on Saturday rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
Kumar’s lawyers filed the petition at the Alipore district and sessions court on Friday and served a notice on the CBI. Moving the petition, Kumar’s counsel said he was only the investigating officer of the scam, and that the CBI has never said he was involved in the scandal or any of the crimes associated with it.
The counsel said so there was no need for his custodial interrogation.
Opposing the bail plea, the CBI lawyers called Kumar–currently the Additional Director General of state Criminal Investigation Department–an absconder. Despite being a protector of the law, the former Kolkata police commissioner has now turned into a law breaker, the CBI counsel argued.
“There are multiple points. We have raised each and every issue concerned with this offence and this case. We have seriously objected to the anticipatory bail application considering the social ramification and considering the importance of investigation, considering the fair and transparent investigation as directed by the honourable apex court,” the CBI counsel told reporters after the hearing.
Objecting to the CBI calling Kumar an absconder, his lawyer submitted that he had informed the federal agency on August 28 that he was available for questioning till September 1, but would not be available then till September 25. So in such circumstances, “how could he be called an absconder?”
After hearing both sides, the court turned down Kumar’s application. (IANS)
