NEW DELHI: The showdown between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Kolkata police reached the Supreme Court on Monday. The CBI moved the court seeking directions to Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar to cooperate with the investigation in Saradha chit fund case.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the central probe agency, submitted before the court that the CBI team was arrested and kept in alleged custody. The Supreme Court will hear CBI’s plea on Tuesday.
A political crisis broke out in Kolkata on Sunday evening as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee began a sit-in (dharna) accusing the Narendra Modi government of attempting a coup to destabilise her government. The controversy was sparked after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), controlled by the Union government, attempted to question Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the ponzi scheme scam case.
The CBI on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking Rajeev Kumar's cooperation with the investigation, according to ANI.
The showdown started when a 40-member CBI team showed up near the official residence of Rajeev Kumar at around 6 pm to question him about the progress of investigations in Saradha chit fund and Rose Valley ponzi scheme.
The drama intensified near Kumar's residence around 7 pm, as three deputy commissioners of Kolkata police and some officers of the anti-rowdy section reached the spot. Five CBI officers were bundled into three jeeps and taken to the Shakespeare Sarani police station.
Within a few hours of detention, the CBI officers were also released.
Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force troopers have been deployed at the CBI headquarters at CGO Complex as also at its city office Nizam Palace.
Rajeev Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre was heading a SIT on the Saradha and Rose Valley scams.
CBI said that Kumar needs to be questioned regarding missing documents and files but he had not responded to notices to appear before the agency. The agency claimed that Kumar had been "absconding" and "being looked for" in connection with Saradha and Rose Valley ponzi scam cases.
CBI also accused Kumar of trying to destroy evidence in the case. The Kolkata Police justified the detention saying they wanted to check whether CBI had the required documents to question Kumar.
The West Bengal government claimed that the CBI had no warrant to conduct the investigation and was part of a "secret operation."