SC seeks Rajeev Kumar reply on CBI arrest plea
The CBI cited various instances where Rajeev Kumar did not cooperate with the investigators in the Ponzi scam cases.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar on the CBI’s plea seeking his arrest in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna granted a week’s time to Rajeev Kumar to file his reply to the CBI’s plea which also included a direction to recall the apex court’s earlier order directing that no coercive action be taken against him.
In its application the CBI said that during the tenure of Rajeev Kumar as Bidhan Nagar Commissioner when he was also a part of the SIT looking after day-to-day functioning, “he by his inaction or otherwise facilitated Saradha Group to illegally operate and further collect '805.77 crore during 2012-13, and Rose Valley group to illegally operate and collect ' 6865.85 crore during 2012-14”.
The CBI cited various instances where Rajeev Kumar did not cooperate with the investigators in the Ponzi scam cases. It said that even after Rajeev Kumar appeared for questioning before the CBI officials in terms of the Supreme Court order, he remained elusive and evaded all pertinent questions and also did not assist the CBI in making available crucial evidence in the chit fund cases.
The agency said Rajeev Kumar, who was in-charge of day-to-day functioning of the special investigation team (SIT) in chit fund case, failed to collect certain key electronic evidence and did not proceed with probe against certain influential persons named by Saradha case prime accused Sudipta Sen Sen.
The CBI said though it had named former TMC MPs Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose, senior lawyer Nalini Chidambaram, former Union minister Matang Sinh and his wife Manoranjan Sinh, and businessman Shantanu Ghosh for allegedly having nexus in the chit fund cases, Rajeev Kumar allegedly proceeded only against Ghosh.
“There is a serious apprehension that Rajeev Kumar and other investigating officers of SIT and Bidhan Nagar Police have not cooperated with the investigation and have not helped the CBI in making available all the material evidence,” the agency said.