Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar misses CBI summons third time, arrest likely

Former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar failed to appear before the CBI on Tuesday morning in connection with the Saradha ponzi scam case, increasing the possibility of his arrest by the agency during the day.

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 but he failed to turn up, they said.

CBI has started proceeding on "other options" available to it under the law, they said.

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 September 25.

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

Anticipatory bail rejected

Meanwhile , the former commisioner had moved a special court in Barasat on Tuesday, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a CBI notice to him for appearing before it in the multi-crore Saradha chit-fund scam.

But the special court judge Sanjib Talukdar refused to hear Kumar's plea, saying it does not have jurisdiction to hear anticipatory bail prayers.

The special court, in charge of trial of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs, said it is a trial court and cannot hear an anticipatory bail application.

It said Kumar may move the court of Barasat district sessions judge with his application.

On September 13, 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 also 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.