The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to offer their submission tomorrow as to why the central investigating agency wants custodial interrogation of former Kolkata Police commissioner in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam probe.
The bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi asked the CBI to offer “proof” that can convince the Court to allow the custodial interrogation. The matter will be heard by the apex court for the next two days.
During the hearing today, the CJI also asked why the team of CBI officers landed outside Kumar’s official residence in early February for conducting a search operation without a “search warrant”.
Once the CBI submits its documents to the court tomorrow, the hearing of the case will be held for the next two days.
Kumar has earlier told the apex 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 said that Rao’s family members were under the scanner following demonetisation and an investigation had been initiated by the Kolkata Police into the operation of some shell companies that had reportedly received huge cash deposits.
During the probe, the role of Angela Mercantiles Pvt Ltd had come to light and when it was being investigated, the names of Rao’s wife and daughter had come up. The Kolkata Police authorities had raided the office of the company.
Officers of the central investigating agency landed at Kumar’s doorstep on the evening of February 3 to “interrogate” him.
Kumar has also alleged that he has been targeted by the CBI as part of the larger conspiracy between two BJP leaders, and has 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”.
The CBI has alleged 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 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.
