The Calcutta High Court on Thursday fixed February 13 for the hearing in the plea filed by Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar seeking that he should be allowed to appear before the CBI at his convenience in connection with the Central agency probing the case of Saradha chit fund scam. This is the second hearing in the case.
Kolkata Top Cop Rajeev Kumar had moved to Calcutta High Court on Monday seeking interim relief in the matter. However, the High Court on Tuesday refused to pass any comments saying the whole issue is sub-judice and under Supreme Court. The High Court had on Tuesday defers the hearing in the case to Thursday.
A standoff between Central Investigation Agency, CBI and West Bengal Police Top Brass erupted on Sunday evening over questioning of West Bengal Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Saradha Chit fund scam. The Whole Issue on Monday reached Parliament, Supreme Court, and Kolkata High Court as Mamata Banerjee sit-in protest against the Central Government atrocities.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday while hearing the plea filed by Centre and CBI issued a notice to Commissioner Of Police Kolkata, DGP and West Bengal government on contempt plea. We will direct the Police Commissioner to make himself available and fully cooperate. We will deal with contempt petition later,” observed CJI. The Top Court further set February 20 as the next date of hearing in the case.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, however, had said that no coercive step should be taken against Kumar who will now appear before the probe agency in Shillong in Meghalaya as a neutral place.
The top court’s directive came against the backdrop of a dharna launched by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata in protest against CBI’s move. However, claiming a moral victory, Mamata Banerjee called off her Dharna following SC Directions.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar has reportedly not responded to a summons from the CBI in connection with the probes into the Rose Valley and Saradha ponzi scams.
He had led the SIT investigation into the scams until 2014 when the agency took over following directions from the apex court. The CBI was slated to question Kumar about documents that reportedly went missing.
Central Probing agency in its affidavit in the Supreme Court alleged that there are several incriminating material and correspondence that was collected during the investigation by the CBI against the senior police officials as well as senior politicians. The affidavit further said that return of crucial evidence to main accused by the SIT, despite regular monitoring by HC, clearly show connivance of SIT to a larger conspiracy wherein local authorities obstructed probe & attempted to destroy evidence prior to transfer of the case to CBI by SC.
In another Development, Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday requested the Mamata Banerjee led West Bengal government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the Kolkata Commissioner of police Rajeev Kumar for sitting on a dharna with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee & some other police officers.
However, Mamata claimed that ‘Rajeev Kumar has never shared a dais with her.