SC Gives 7 Days To WB’s Top Cop Rajeev Kumar To Seek Protection From Arrest By CBI

The Supreme Court of India  on Thursday granted seven days to former Police Commissioner of Kolkata  Rajeev Kumar  seven days to approach a court for seeking  protection from arrest by the CBI for  allegedly destroying evidence related to the Saradha chit fund scam in West Bengal. He was  appointed  head of the  Special Investigation Team (SIT)  by Chief  Minister  Mamata  Banerjee to probe the biggest ever financial corruption in the  eastern state which  defrauded over  two million  people who were assured of attractive  returns on  their  investments. He cannot be taken into CBI custody till his case for protection is disposed of .However, integration by CBI will continue, as per the SC order.  The SC has made it clear that its February order giving him protection will continue for seven days and told the Central Bureau of Investigation to “act in accordance with the law”. The CBI had prayed to the Supreme Court seeking his custodial interrogation there was preliminary evidence of him allegedly trying to destroy or tamper with evidence and “shield high and mighty” in the case.”We have withdrawn the protection given to Rajeev Kumar vide order dated February 5,” the bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said while pronouncing the order.The probe agency had said it needs to take Mr Kumar into custody to question him about the finer details of the case. Rajeev Kumar’s lawyer had told the Supreme Court that the agency wanted his custodial interrogation “just to humiliate” him and the CBI should not be allowed to abuse the process of law.On February 3, a team of CBI officers was stopped from entering Mr Kumar’s home in Kolkata when they had gone to question him in connection with the chit fund scam cases. The move had prompted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to go on a sit-in in the heart of the city against what she called was an “the attack on constitutional norms”.Over a week later, acting on the Supreme Court’s order, the CBI questioned Mr Kumar for five days in Shillong. The top court had also ordered that no coercive action can be taken against Rajeev Kumar and he cannot be arrested. Kumar stated to be a blue eyed boy of the ruling TMC supremo was relieved  of  his assignment  as Additional  Director  General  of  CID, West Bengal, by the Election Commission of  India  following   violent   incidents  during  Road  Show by BJP President  Amit Shah  in Kolkata. He was posted in the Union Ministry for  Home Affairs   He reported for duty at the Home Ministry on Thursday. Incidentally, as per official estimates Saradha Chit had mobilized about Rs. 1,200 crore through chit funds. However some knowledgeable people say   the amount is closer to Rs. 4,000 crore. The company collapsed in April 2013 about two years later TMC came to power in West Bengal. Its founder Chairman Sudipta Sen and Executive Director Debjani Mukherjee were nabbed in  Jammu and  Kashmir and they are  remain imprisoned as the  CBI  investigating  the case .