Rajeev Kumar’s Wife Files Anticipatory Bail Plea in Calcutta HC

Former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar is alleged to have suppressed evidence crucial for the investigation into the multi-crore Saradha ponzi scam.

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

The wife of former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Monday, 23 September, filed an anticipatory bail application for him at the Calcutta High Court in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam case, news agency ANI reported.

The Alipore District and Sessions court had on Saturday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Kumar who is alleged to have suppressed evidence crucial for the investigation into the scam.

On Sunday, CBI officials intensified operations to locate Kumar who has been evading summons in connection with the multi-crore Saradha ponzi scam.

Separate teams of CBI officials visited Alipore Bodyguard Lines and Kumar's official residence on Park Street in Kolkata on Sunday, a PTI report said.

Since the Calcutta High Court withdrew the protection granted to Kumar from the CBI taking any coercive action against him, officials of the probe agency mounted the operation to trace the former Kolkata Police commissioner.

Kumar is currently the additional director general of CID, West Bengal.

Teams of the special crime branch of the CBI had visited the office of the CID at Bhabani Bhavan as well as various parts of the city to ascertain the whereabouts of Kumar on Saturday.

The West Bengal police has intimated CBI that Kumar is on leave from 9 to 25 September.

The Saradha group of companies allegedly duped lakhs of people of Rs 2,500 crore, promising higher rates of return on their investments.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)