New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday withdrew the interim protection from arrest permitted to Kolkata Police Chief Rajeev Kumar in link with the Saradha Chit Fund scam. However, the Court has given him 7 days' time to approach appropriate forum.
The bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi with Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna announced its judgment on the application of the CBI for arrest and custodial interrogation of erstwhile Kolkata Police Chief Rajeev Kumar in connection with the Saradha Chit Fund scam.
The CBI had conveyed to the apex court that it demanded for the custodial interrogation of Kumar, who was earlier heading West Bengal Police SIT probing chit fund scam, as there was prima facie evidence of his allegedly trying to destroy or tamper with the proofs. In a prominent mishap to former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in the Saradha chit fund scam, the Supreme Court on Friday said the protection from arrest will be taken away post a week.
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The court in its order pronounced that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will take action in accordance with law, thus giving a free hand to the agency to arrest Kumar. The court was hearing a CBI application asking abandonment of the order which granted interim protection from arrest to Kumar. The CBI had told the supreme court that it wanted custodial interrogation of Kumar, who was earlier heading West Bengal Police SIT probing chit fund scam, as there was seeming evidence of his allegedly trying to destroy or tamper with evidence and "shield high and mighty" in the case.
Nevertheless, Kumar's barrister had answered CBI's submissions and told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that the agency desired for his custodial interrogation "just to humiliate" him and CBI should not be allowed to abuse the process of law.
The Election Commission on Wednesday commanded for the removal of Kumar, who was affixed as Additional Director General, CID, in West Bengal and had asked him to report to Union Home Ministry on Thursday.
Kumar's lawyer had expostulated that the IPS officer was questioned by the CBI for almost 40 hours and the agency was not able to spell out clearly as to what was the offence committed by him for which they want his custodial interrogation.