Rajeev Kumar won’t benefit by eluding CBI: Dilip Ghosh

Kolkata: State BJP president Dilip Ghosh predicted on Saturday that former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar would not benefit by eluding the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Saradha chit fund scam.

He also underlined that Mr Kumar should extend  cooperation to the CBI. The Trinamul Congress which has adopted a wait-and-watch stand on the issue referred to it as “sub judice”.

On the sidelines of a BJP workshop at EZCC in Salt Lake, Mr Ghosh said, “Before his arrest, Congress leader P Chidambaram also remained beyond trace. This is nothing new. Those who have betrayed the nation, are in panic now. So if the CBI decides to arrest someone, he cannot hide. Mr Chidambaram has felt it. He was such a heavy leader. So no one could heave a sigh of relief by fleeing."

The BJP MP of Midnapore added, “Mr Kumar is an IPS officer. He knows the law. So he should come forward and cooperate with the CBI. This will help the large number of depositors, who have been cheated in the scam, to get justice.”

Triggering a controversy, his party colleague Mukul Roy claimed that Mr Kumar has taken shelter at chief minister Mamata Banerjee's residence on Harish Chatterjee Street in Kalighat.

On the sidelines of the same event, he alleged, “It is my belief that Mr Kumar is staying at the chief minister's residence.”

Asked on the possibility of a CBI search there, Mr Roy however added, “I do not know. But it is the habit of the chief minister to interrupt government work. Earlier when the CBI went to search for Mr Kumar, she caused  obstruction. She should be booked in a case for disrupting government work.”

On Mr Kumar’s absence, Trinamul secretary general Partha Chatterjee however said, “The matter is sub judice.”