Saradha chit fund scam: Calcutta HC stays arrest of IPS Rajeev Kumar for one month

KOLKATA: In a partial relief for former Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar, who is under the CBI scanner in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted him protection from his arrest till July 10.

The vacation bench of Justice Pratik Prakash Banerjee granted Kumar a month's protection from June 10, when the court will reopen after the summer break.

''Calcutta HC grants ADG, CID Rajeev Kumar one month's protection from arrest from date of reopening of court on June 10,'' the court said in its order.

The high court while accepting the plea of Kumar, who is now serving as ADG, CID, asked him to deposit his passport and cooperate with the central probe agency in the Saradha chit fund scam. 

 

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In his plea, Kumar had urged the court to quash the CBI notices directing him to appear before the agency for interrogation. 

The high court also directed the central agency to go to Rajeev Kumar's residence every day at 4 PM to register his attendance. 

For attendance CBI shall go to Rajeev Kumar's residence everyday at 4 PM. He cannot go outside Kolkata. No coercive steps against Kumar for one month. Next hearing on 12th June. https://t.co/8lbaSikWMm — ANI (@ANI) May 30, 2019

He has not been permitted to go outside Kolkata. 

In its order, the high court said that ''no coercive steps will be taken against Kumar for one month.''

The court also fixed 12th June as the next date for hearing in the case.

Kumar, the Additional Director General (ADG) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police, was earlier summoned by the CBI for questioning in connection with the case.

However, he sent a letter seeking a week's time, stating that he was on leave.

Kumar, who is accused of tampering evidence related to the Saradha chit fund scam, was interrogated by the central agency for five consecutive days in Shillong back in February.

In a new twist to the case, the West Bengal government on Sunday reinstated Kumar as Additional Director General, CID a post from which he was shunted out by the Election Commission and sent on central deputation on May 15.

The state government in a notification said that Kumar was being reinstated as the model code of conduct had expired.

On the other hand, the CBI had issued a lookout notice against Kumar and directed all the airports and immigration authorities to prevent him from leaving the country and intimate the agency about any such move.

The Supreme Court had on May 17 withdrawn the protection from arrest granted to Kumar by its February 5 order.

The top court, however, gave him seven days time to approach a competent court for relief.

The CBI is seeking custodial interrogation of Kumar as he was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of West Bengal Police that probed the Saradha scam before the central agency took over the case.

(With Agency inputs)