SC Notice to Rajive Kumar on CBI Plea Challenging anticipatory bail
By: – Syed Ali Taher Abedi
The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to top West Bengal police officer Rajeev Kumar on a plea by the CBI to cancel anticipatory bail granted to him on Oct 1.2019, in connection with the Saradha chit fund Scam Case.
In the plea before the SC, the CBI urged that custodial interrogation was needed to probe wether Rajeev Kumar Sabotaged the investigation in Saradha Chit fund scam.
The Bench led by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, asked the solicitor General Tushar Mehta the reason Kumar’s custody was required in the case.
Solicitor General while responding to the Apex court said that Kumar had earlier absconded for a while and that he had suppressed relevant information collected during the investigation of the scam.
The CJI Bobde, however told Solicitor General that “you have to convince us his arrest is necessary, otherwise he is a high ranking IPS officer,”CJI Bobde Said
The Supreme Court today said that it was issuing notice to Kumar because “there is something about this person being absconding for a long time”
Kumar, the 1989-batch IPS officer, is accused of destroying evidence related to the Saradha Chit fund (Ponzi) scam when he headed the special investigation team of the West Bengal police to probe the matter it was transferred to the CBI.
The former Kolkatta top cop is presently posted as additional director of the Crime Investigation Department (CID)
On May 17, the Bench withdrew the interim protection, although it had granted Kumar liberty to move the Calcutta High Court in this regard. To ensure that he is not arrested in the meanwhile, The Apex Court had also ordered that his interim protection would continue for an additional seven days at that time.On May 30, The Calcutta High Court granted the former Kolkatta Police Commissioner interim protection from arrest, subject to several conditions, including Kumar’s cooperation with the CBI in the investigation.
