SHILLONG: The Commissioner of Kolkata Police, Rajeev Kumar, was questioned for almost eight hours at the CBI office here in connection with the Saradha chit fund case.
Rajeev Kumar, who arrived in Shillong on Friday, appeared before the CBI at its office in Oakland for questioning as per the Supreme Court order. The questioning will continue on Sunday.
The CBI will also question former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh in connection with the case on Sunday. Ghosh arrived here on Saturday.
Kumar reached the CBI office at around 10.45 am amidst tight security and the proceeding started at around 11.15 am after a small discussion between the Kolkata Police and CBI officials about the process. At around 7 pm in the evening, Kumar came out of the CBI office.
Sources informed that there are at least 200-300 questions which would be put before Kumar
and the questioning will be done in a phased manner.
The sources said that the entire proceeding was video-graphed as requested by Kumar.
A team of 12 CBI officers from Kolkata and New Delhi were involved.
The sources said CBI officials queried Kumar on matters related to the investigation earlier carried out by the special investigation team (SIT) into the chit fund case and which Kumar had then headed.
Later, Biswajit Deb, lawyer of Kumar, told media persons that they were cooperating with CBI as directed by the Supreme Court. “ We are cooperating and this is the reason we are here as per the order of the Supreme Court,” Deb said.
The Supreme Court had earlier this week directed Kumar to appear before the CBI and “faithfully” cooperate with the investigation into the Saradha chit fund scam. The court had decided on Shillong as the venue for the questioning — being a “neutral” place — after the stand-off between Kolkata Police and CBI in Kolkata earlier. The Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, had even quipped that Shillong is a “cool” place and it will keep both parties cool.
The sources, in a lighter vein, said the CJI’s prediction had come true as the day’s proceedings went off without a hitch. “There were no sparks flying… everything was cool,” a source said.
Meanwhile Kolkata Police sources said it was erroneous to describe the interaction between Kumar and the CBI as “interrogation.” “He is not an accused, but a witness who has come to share information from the time he headed the SIT,” a source said.
Meanwhile, speaking to a few reporters, Ghosh said it was a moral victory for him as Kumar was also being questioned now. Ghosh was arrested by the Kumar-headed SIT in November 2013 and had spent time in various jails. He was also subsequently suspended from the party.
