Chit Fund Scams: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar Being Questioned by CBI

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Saturday arrived at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Shillong in Meghalaya on Saturday, February 9. He is being questioned in connection with the Saradha scam and other ponzi schemes.

New Delhi: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Saturday arrived at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Shillong in Meghalaya on Saturday, February 9. He is being questioned in connection with the Saradha scam and other ponzi scheme cases. The development comes in the wake of an order by the Supreme Court on CBI plea, which directed the cop to ‘faithfully’ cooperate in the investigation, making it clear that he will not be arrested.

The Kolkata police chief reached Shillong on Friday and has been lodged in a top hotel in the city under strict security cover. He will be interrogated at two locations — at the CBI office and at an undisclosed location.

Meanwhile on Friday, the Kolkata police conducted raids at former interim CBI director M Nageswara Rao’s residence and Angelina Mercantile Pvt Ltd in city’s Salt Lake area.

Issuing a press statement, Rao termed the happening a ‘propaganda’ and refuted reports of him and his wife having any stake in Angelina Mercantile.

Explaining the ownership details of the company, he stated that neither he nor his wife had any connection with the same. He added that details of all of his and his family’s properties had been attached in the Annual Property Returns to the government which were available on the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) website.

A high-drama unfolded on Sunday as a team of CBI sleuths reached Kumar’s residence in Kolkata. Heavy police force deployed outside the house did not allow the officers to enter into the premises. At least five were also detained and released after a few hours.

Following this, CM Mamata Banerjee and other top officials of the state went into a huddle. The CM sat on ‘Save The Constitution’ dharna, which garnered huge support from various Opposition parties and the state police. She concluded the protest after almost 72 hours, following the SC’s direction to Kolkata top cop seeking cooperation in the investigation.

Lauding the top court’s decision TMC Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that this verdict will strengthen the moral of officers. “It’s a moral victory. We have great respect for judiciary and all institutions. We are so grateful. We’re so obliged.”

Adding further, she had said, “Every federal state is an elected government, centre and state have their jurisdictions. We will never interfere if centre machinery comes to arrest state machinery (officials). It is a constitutional breakdown.”

Notably, the 1989-batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the West Bengal government to probe the cases. On February 1, the CBI claimed that Kumar had been ‘absconding’ and ‘being looked for’ in connection with the questioning over Saradha and Rose Valley ponzi scam cases.