The Central Bureau of Investigation today sought more time to file a counter-affidavit in the case involving interrogating former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar in the Saradha chit fund scam investigations, leading to the Supreme Court giving the agency a week’s time. The next hearing has been fixed on April 22.
The CBI had filed an affidavit seeking custodial interrogation of Rajeev Kumar, alleging that he had not cooperated in the investigations. However, Kumar countered this in his reply, telling the court that he had himself asked for a video recording of the questioning in Shillong and if the recording was submitted before the court, it would be clear whether or not he had cooperated and what his responses were.
The CBI however, has sought for more time from the court to submit the counter-affidavit, which the court granted and has fixed the next hearing on April 22.
The central investigating agency has alleged earlier before the court in its affidavit that Kumar “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. The CBI has also alleged that “the demeanour, tone and tenor and the body language” of Kumar had “led to serious apprehension in the minds of the investigators” that he “tried all along to shield some body”.
The contempt plea was filed in the Supreme Court by the CBI on February 4 a day after a team of CBI officers landed outside Kumar’s official residence in Kolkata (he was then Kolkata Police commissioner) on a “secret” mission, apparently to question him, and were detained for some time by the local police authorities. Later, chief minister Mamata Banerjee reached his residence and went on a dharna in Kolkata to protest the CBI’s alleged high-handedness.
Later, the apex court asked Kumar to cooperate with the CBI authorities in the investigation and share information at a “neutral location”, Shillong.
