CBI summons ex-Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar to appear before it tomorrow
New Delhi/Kolkata, May 26: The CBI has summoned former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Monday for questioning in connection with the Saradha ponzi scheme case, officials said.
A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) visited Kumar's official residence in Kolkata on Sunday evening to serve the notice, officials said.
The 1989-batch IPS officer has been asked to be present at the Salt Lake office of the agency on Monday in connection with the investigation into the chit fund scam, an officer said.
The CBI has also issued a lookout notice against Kumar. All the airports and immigration authorities have been alerted to prevent him from leaving the country and intimate the agency about any possible move, officials said.
The agency wants custodial interrogation of Kumar in connection with the chit fund scam as he was heading the special investigation team (SIT) of the West Bengal police to probe the case before the CBI took over, the officials said.
The CBI had told the Supreme Court that custodial interrogation of Kumar was necessary, saying he was not co-operating in the probe and he was "evasive" and "arrogant" in answering the queries put to him during questioning.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the CBI, had said Kumar was the incharge of investigation by the SIT and had allowed the release of mobile phones and laptops, which were seized from the accused and contained crucial records of alleged involvement of political functionaries in the scam.
Mehta had said the seized mobile phones and laptops were not even sent for forensic examination and material evidence were destroyed in the case
The apex court had asked the CBI last month to furnish evidence for seeking custodial interrogation of Kumar in the Saradha case, saying it has to be satisfied that the agency's request was "bona fide" and not for "political purposes".
The court had on May 17 withdrawn protection given to Kumar from any arrest and had asked the CBI to proceed as per law. It gave a week's time to Kumar to approach the competent court for anticipatory bail.
Kumar had again approached the top court last Monday, seeking extension of the protection and saying the courts in West Bengal were not functioning due to a lawyers' strike. This petition was rejected, following which Kumar had approached a Kolkata court with an anticipatory bail.
In January, the Centre and the state government had faced an unprecedented standoff after a CBI team, which reached the residence of Kumar for questioning, had to retreat after the police refused to let it enter and detained its officers.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came in the defence of Kumar and started a sit-in to protest against the Centre's move.
The Supreme Court had on February 5 had prevented the agency from any coercive action against Kumar and directed him to appear and co-operate in CBI questioning at a "neutral place". He was questioned by the CBI for nearly five days in Shillong from February 9.
The ponzi scheme scam was over Rs 2,500 crore by the Saradha group of companies, which had duped lakhs of customers promising higher rates of returns on their investment, the CBI has alleged.
Similar modus operandi was adopted by other ponzi companies like Rose Valley operating in West Bengal, Odisha and North Eastern states where gullible investors were duped, it said.
The Supreme Court had ordered a CBI probe in which the agency has allegedly detected collusion of scheme operators, police personnel, politicians among others, the officials had said.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
