Saradha Scam: No Relief for Rajeev Kumar from Sessions Court

This is the second occasion since Saturday last that Kumar defied the CBI summons to present himself before its team

File image of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar.

(Photo: PTI)

Former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Tuesday, 17 September, failed to get relief from the Barasat District and Sessions Court on his anticipatory bail plea in the Saradha chit fund scam case.

Barasat Sessions judge S Rashidi said the court has no jurisdiction in the matter as the multi-crore chit fund scam case was registered at Alipore district court.

While the Barasat court is in North 24 Parganas district, the Alipore court is in adjacent South 24 Parganas district.

Kumar had moved the Barasat court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a CBI notice served on him to appear before it for assisting it in the case.

Kumar’s lawyers had moved the prayer before the sessions judge after the special court in the district, incharge of trial of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs, refused to hear the petition on Tuesday morning, saying it does not have jurisdiction to hear anticipatory bail pleas.

Kumar failed to appear before the CBI on Tuesday morning in connection with the case, increasing the possibility of his arrest by the agency during the day, sources told PTI.

They said Kumar did not appear for questioning twice in spite of CBI notices after the Kolkata High Court withdrew the protection given to him from arrest on Friday.

The agency had given him notice to appear at 10 am on Tuesday, and had asked Kumar to turn up at 2 pm on Monday, but he failed to turn up both the times, they said.

It also said that he is trying legal remedies available to him.

Highly places sources told PTI that the CBI is trying to locate Kumar and has even written to the West Bengal DGP and the chief secretary to instruct Kumar to appear before the investigation team.

They said a special team has been constituted to locate Kumar.

The West Bengal DGP, in a letter on Monday, had told the CBI that its notices were sent to Kumar's official residence and his response is awaited, they added.

In the letter, the top police official had said that through his lawyer, Kumar had intimated him that he is on leave till 25 September.

On 13 September, the Calcutta High Court vacated its interim order granting the former Kolkata police commissioner protection from arrest in the Saradha chit-fund scam case.

The high court had rejected Kumar’s prayer for quashing a CBI notice that sought his appearance for questioning in the case.  

Kumar, who is currently the West Bengal CID Additional Director General, was part of a Special Investigation Team set up by the state government to investigate the scam, before the Supreme Court handed over the case to CBI in 2014, along with other chit-fund cases.

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