Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar went to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office at the Salt Lake this morning. The central investigating agency had asked him to appear for questioning in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam investigation.
Kumar was investigating the Saradha chit fund scam which was later taken over by the CBI. The central investigating agency has alleged that he had tampered with documents and proof in connection with the probe.
The Calcutta High Court last Friday granted Kumar a month’s protection from custodial interrogation. Just prior to the last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Kolkata, Kumar was transferred from the post of the ADG-CID by the Election Commission and attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The very next day, the Supreme Court lifted the interim protection on him from custodial interrogation. However, though Kumar was asked by the apex court to take appropriate legal steps for his protection, it turned out to be difficult as lawyers in the state were on strike.
Finally, after a week, the Calcutta High Court granted him a month’s protection from custodial interrogation. He was however, asked to not leave his official residence and his attendance was being recorded every day by CBI officials.
On Thursday, he was asked by the CBI authorities to be present at the agency’s Kolkata office in Salt Lake for questioning, and accordingly Kumar reached the office at 10.50 this morning.
Earlier too, Kumar had gone to the CBI office in Shillong where he was questioned for five days, but the agency authorities had later informed the apex court that the former Kolkata CP “did not disclose any information crucial to investigation of the chit fund cases and gave evasive replies”, and that he had not cooperated with the investigation.
Kumar on the other hand had told the Supreme Court that he was targeted by the CBI due to “mala fide intent” and “conflict of interest” of the investigating agency’s former interim chief M Nageswara Rao. He has also alleged that he was targeted by the CBI as part of the larger conspiracy between two BJP leaders, and had named Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijyawargiya. He told the apex court that there is an audio clip where they clearly speak of “targeting” some “senior police officers”.
