Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar – asked to appear before officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday by 10 a.m. – has sought seven days’ time from the central investigating agency.
During the day, two officers of the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that he heads, went to the Salt Lake CGO complex of the CBI and submitted the letter from Kumar seeking a week’s time before he appears before them.
Officers said that he has cited personal reason not being present today and asking for more time. Various reports indicated that he is currently in Uttar Pradesh on personal work. The CBI authorities have not yet indicated how they would react to Kumar’s letter.
CBI officers on Sunday evening reached his residence on Park Street and had served a notice asking him to appear before them by 10 a.m. on Monday. Later, they reached Bhawani Bhawan, the CID’s office and served the same notice.
Kumar’s protection from custodial interrogation – granted to him by the Supreme Court – ended on Friday. He had moved Supreme Court seeking extension of the protection pleading that the courts in West Bengal were not functional because of lawyers’ strike. However, the apex court said that the courts in Bengal were in fact, functioning and he could appear in person to seek legal remedies.
But despite coming down to Kolkata from Delhi on the same day, he could not get the legal protection on Friday because of technical reasons. It was thus assumed that Kumar would apply for anticipatory bail on Monday. However, the CBI’s notice asking him to be present in their Salt Lake office by 10 am on Monday made it almost impossible for him to appear in court because the office hours in court begin around the same time.
But even on Monday, there were no reports of anyone representing him moving the Barasat court to seek anticipatory bail.
