The CBI said that Rajeev Kumar is not answering the questions asked by the sleuths correctly. The CBI has also expressed apprehension that Kumar can destroy evidence related to the Saradha scam.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has approached the Supreme Court seeking arrest of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the Saradha scam.
The petition filed by the CBI said that Kumar is not cooperating in the investigation. Permission has been sought in the Supreme Court to arrest Kumar so that he can be questioned.
The CBI said that Kumar is not answering the questions asked by the sleuths correctly. The CBI has expressed apprehension that Kumar can destroy evidence related to the Saradha scam.
Kumar is considered a close aide of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. During the previous hearing, the affidavit on behalf of the CBI was filed in the Supreme Court.
Following the hearing, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said that according to the report, there are serious allegations against Kumar and if he had anything to say as a response to the CBI's report, he must answer in court within 10 days, after which another hearing would be held. This happened in February this year.
Supreme Court had ruled that Kumar would be interrogated in Shillong. The court had instructed Kumar to appear before the CBI and cooperate with integrity in the investigation. However, the court had clarified that Kumar would not be arrested.
In order to investigate the Saradha scam, a special investigation team (SIT) was formed in 2013. This team was led by 1989 batch IPS officer, Kumar.
In 2014, the Supreme Court had given the CBI the charge of the investigation. Kumar was made the head of Kolkata Police in January 2016.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.