Ex-Kolkata police chief summoned today by CBI

New Delhi/Kolkata: The CBI has summoned former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Monday for questioning in connection with the Saradha ponzi scheme case, officials said.
A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited Kumar’s official residence in Kolkata on Sunday evening to serve the notice, officials said.
The 1989-batch IPS officer was asked to be present at the Salt Lake office of the agency on Monday in connection with the investigation into the chit fund scam, an officer said.
The CBI has also issued a lookout notice against Kumar.
All the airports and immigration authorities have been alerted to prevent him from leaving the country and intimate the agency about any possible move, officials said.
The agency wants custodial interrogation of Kumar in connection with the chit fund scam as he was heading the special investigation team (SIT) of the West Bengal police to probe the case before the CBI took over, the officials said.
The CBI had told the Supreme Court that custodial interrogation of Kumar was necessary, saying he was not co-operating in the probe and he was “evasive” and “arrogant” in answering the queries put to him during questioning.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the CBI, said Kumar was the incharge of investigation by the SIT and had allowed the release of mobile phones and laptops, which were seized from the accused and contained crucial records of alleged involvement of political functionaries in the scam.
Mehta said the seized mobile phones and laptops were not even sent for forensic examination and material evidence were destroyed.
The apex court had asked the CBI last month 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The court had on May 17 withdrawn protection given to Kumar from any arrest and had asked the CBI to proceed as per law. It gave a week’s time to Kumar to approach the competent court for anticipatory bail.
Kumar had again approached the top court last Monday, seeking extension of the protection and saying the courts in West Bengal were not functioning due to a lawyers’ strike.
This petition was rejected, following which Kumar had approached a Kolkata court with an anticipatory bail.
In January, the Centre and the state government faced an unprecedented standoff after a CBI team, which reached the residence of Kumar for questioning, had to retreat after the police refused to let it enter and detained its officers.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came in his defence and started a sit-in protest against Centre’s move. (PTI)