Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation in relation to the Sarda Chit Fund scam, today morning, in Shillong, Meghalaya. A ten-member CBI team is reportedly assigned for the questioning of the IPS officer.
Meghalaya: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar arrives in Shillong. He will be questioned by CBI here, in connection with the #SaradhaScam. pic.twitter.com/7ab0wwO3sa
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2019
Rajeev Kumar was accompanied by two senior police officers from West Bengal, including Deputy Commissioner of Special Task Force Murlidhar Sharma and a counsel. The team had arrived at Shillong on Friday, a day before Kumar’s grilling.
An Indian Express report states that Kumar has told CBI that he will not be able to stay put in Shillong for long, in the wake of Sarwasti Puja tomorrow, and board examinations starting on February 12. The two Police officials and Kumar’s counsel was asked to leave from the CBI office.
As per reports, a three-member team from Delhi is currently grilling the officer and the questioning is expected to be carried out in 3 phases.
Shillong: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to be questioned, in connection with the #SaradhaChitFundScam, by 3 CBI officials who came from Delhi.
#AIRVideos: Samir Verma pic.twitter.com/2S1rHv4Uyn
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) February 9, 2019
Meanwhile, groups of TMC workers have reportedly staged a protest outside CBI national headquarters in CGO Complex, Delhi.
The CBI has alleged Kumar of tampering with crucial evidence related to Sardha ponzi scam, that allegedly involves various TMC leaders. The buzz around the scam escalated after on Kolkata Police had forcefully detained eight CBI officials who had gone to visit police commissioner Rajeev Kumar to obtain crucial information regarding the scam.
Following this, CM Mamta Banerjee had resorted to ‘dharna’ politics alleging Modi government of indulging in vendetta politics and using CBI to meet political ends.
CBI then approached the Supreme Court, alleging the state machinery and police of deliberately obfuscating facts and hampering the investigation into the Sardha Chit Fund Scam. SC had given CBI a big relief and had asked Rajeev Kumar to appear before the agency, in Shillong, a place which it deemed was politically neutral. SC had also directed CBI to not to exercise coercive actions like arrest against Kumar.
